9

Absalom and Achitophel : A sati

Or
and Achitophel
Political Satire in Absalom and
Or
Dryden's Satire in Absalom and Achitophel
Introduction : Nature and Origin of Satire
Satire is aform of literature, the proclaimed purpose of
is the reform of human weaknesses or vices through laughter or which
Satire is different from scolding and sheer abuse, though.it is disgus.
by indignation. Its aim is generally constructive, and need not aris prompted
from cynicism or misanthropy. The satirist applies the test of certain
ethical, intellectual and social standards to men and womnen, and
determines their degree of criminality or culpability. Satire naturally
has a wide range; it can involve an attack on the vices of an
age, or
the defects of an individual or the follies
of mankind. common to the very species
The ancient Romans were apparently the
Lucilius followed by Horace, Persius and Juvenal first great satirists.
to a high level of perfection. They set the cultivated the form
verse. Indeed, the two lines of satire standard of classical satiric
generally followed by writers are
represented by Horace and Juvenal. Horatian
and the satire laughs at mankind
In Juvenalian satire indignantly lashes out at hateful
Horatian satire, folly rather than mankind.
humorous, urbane and enjoyable (at the same wickedness exposed in a
is
Juvenalian satire rages and cuts, time instructive) manner.
and scintillating phrases. Thus it crystallized into brilliant epigras
satire are wit and
humour, becomes obyious that the means
irony and
is an artdenunciation.
points out, the art of the satirist James Sutherland
rhetoricand argument are quite necessary.of persuasion and for this purpos,
In England and Europe, satire
eighteenth centuries. We have flourished in the
Dryden, Pope and
Seventeenth and

140
Swift in England;
 Absalom and Achitophel : ASatire
in
and Voltaire in France; Richter and Heine
Moliere one
Baudelaire,
Cervantes in Spain. Each of these satirists havehated
and counterparts- each
Geramany; with their ancient Roman
in
Common
thing andeach
transformed invective into allegory.
hypocrisy
personal or general: it can attack particular people
Satire can
bee satire is never so completely
general. However, genuine beyond the particular
societyin ceases to have interest a
personalisedthat it
or not mere calling of names; it has
at. Satire is
individualit aims attack on individuals, if it is imaginative,
Further, the "is tolash
true business of satire
reform.
powerto
element of universality. The deride
havean pretension, to expose hypocrisy, to Birrell
ridicule vain Augustine
theage, education, politics and religion",inas works of Horace
humbug in these characteristics will be found the
remarks,and Swift, and Samuel Butler.
Dryden, Pope,
and Juvenal as wellas
Satirist
Drydenas a
a concentrated and convincing
with
Drvden marks his satire majestic, what Pope calls: "The long
verse is remnarked
noetic style. His satiric divine". Critics have unanimously
maiestic march and energy transform the trivial into the poetical; personal
on Dryden's capacity to creation. The obscure and the
imaginative
envy into the fury of and simple. All this transforming power is
complicated is made clear and Achitophel. The state
beginning of Absalom
to be seen at the very
understand and yet Dryden has
omitted very little
of Israel' is easy to Dryden shows himself a master both of the
of the actual situation. of satire. He is urbane, witty,
Horatian and the Juvenalian styles
petty.
devastating and vigorous, but very seldom
Satire
Absalom and Achitophel :Basically a Political
and not a satire,
Dryden called Absalom and Achitophel 'a poem' purely satirical. One
mplying thereby that it had elements other than touches in it. All
Cannot, for instance, ignore the obvious epic or heroic
Me same, the poem originated in the political situation of England at
the time and one cannot fail to note that several political personalities
de satirised in it. Published in November 1681, the theme was
Suggested by the King to Dryden. At this time,the question of sucession
to King Charles had assumed great importance. The Earl of Shaftesbury
hadd been thrown into prison to face a charge of high treason. There
were two contenders for the succession. Firstly, Charles's brother James,
Duke of York, a--known Roman Catholic: the second contender was
Charles's illegitimate son, the Protestant Duke of Monmouth. The
141
AbsalomandAchitophel
while the Tories supported the
James
Whigsin
Monmouth
order to ensure stability in the country. There was greatof
supported
public unrestonaccount of the uncertainty of succession. King Charles
cauSe
I sawtoit that the Exclusion Bill brought beforeParliament, to
to exclude
the succession of his brother James, Could not be pushed through. The
Earl of Shaftesbury, a highly ambitious man, sought to capitalise
this unrest. He also urged Monmouth to rebel against his father. The
illegitimateson, did not:support his
King, though fond of his
against law. The Earl of succession
because that would have been
was arrested on a charge of high
treason and lost popular s y Shaftesbury
Dryden's Aim in Absalom and Achitophel
The aim of Dryden was to support the King and expose his
enemies. Of course, Charles had his own weaknesses; he was
fond of women. But Dryden puts a charitable mantel over his sexual extremely
sins. He is mild in dealing with his real vices. The King himself did
not think unfavourably of his love affairs. Sexual licence was the order
of the age and as such, it did not deserve condemnation. Drvden k
nothing but praise for the King's moderation in political matters and
his leniency towards rebels. Dryden's lash falls on the King's enemies,
particularly the Earl of Shaftesbury. He was a reckless politician without
any principles who, "having tried in vain to seduce Charles to arbitrary
government had turned round and now drives down the current'.
Dryden dreads the fickleness of the mob and he is not sure to what
extremes a crowd can go. However, the King's strictness and instinct
for the rule of law won for him popular support and he was able to
determine the succession according to his desire. Dryden's reference
to the godlike David shows his flattery of the King and his belief in
the "Theory of the Divine Right of Kings.
Political Satire Cast in Biblical Mould
Dryden chose the wellknown Biblical story of Absalom revolt;
against his father David, at the wicked instigation of Achitophel
choice ofa
order to satirise the contemporary ppolitical situation. The general
Biblical allegory is not original on Dryden's part, but his points
treatment of the subject is beyond comparison, as Courthope politicalsatire
out. But all the while, Dryden takes care to see that theparallelism. The
is not lost in the confusion of a too intricate Biblical
obviousasit
is involved
advantage of setting the story in pre-Christian timessituation
gave Dryden an easy way out of a difficulty thatthe opponents
King's
Dryden had at once toto praise the King and satirise the King's
 Absalom and Achitophel : A Satire

discreditthe opponents
he had
to emphasise on Monmouth's
time he had to see that Charles(who was
To but atthe same
ilegitimacy:
' sfather)
Monmouth
was not adversely affected by his criticism. He
Charles' loose morals; at the same time, he
openly condone either. With a masterly touch he sets the
couldnot
notopenly
criticise it
could
poem did begin
pious times ere priestcrafta sin;
In
Before polygamy was made
on multiplied his kind.
When man confined..
was cursedly
Ere one to one
cannot be missed; Dryden is obviously
The ironical undertoneCharles himself, who, as a witty patron,
sleeve at
laughing up hismissed it, nor failed to enjoy it.
oould not have Satirical Variety
Revealing Dryden's
Satiric Portraits chÍosing a pre-Christian
initial difficulty by
Having overcome his King's patrons and praise his
attack the
setting, Dryden was free to do so in amemorable string of portraits
supporters. He proceeds to actualindividuals, attain the universality
which, while growing out of armoury of satirical weapons is
personalities. Dryden's
of types of
used in his portraiture of the rebels. These satirical portraits are
fully a part of his general scheme.
of personal animosity but
not the result
in the poem.
Achitophel is the first and a striking delineation
but lofty denunciation. The
Here the method is not humour and gentle irony,
rebel and as such deserved
Earl of Shaftesbury was a dangerous Shaftesbury, the particular
serious treatment. Achitophel is thus unscrupulous and
individual, as well as Achitophel, the type of all
scheming politicians.
Shaftesbury is portrayed as a crooked, aggressive and
criticism
unprincipled politician, "resolved to ruin or rule the State". The
is vigorous and total as Dryden attacks Achitophel (or Shaftesbury) as
the very embodiment of evil-"for close designs and crooked counsels
fit". His weak pigmy body cannot hold its stormy, restless soul.
Unafraid of danger, he is restless in timeof peace. False in friendship
and merciless in his enmities Shaftesbury continued his wrongful
poutical activities even in old age when he should have taken rest.
Dryden, with the satirist's licence, slightly distorts truth to put
Shaftesbury in a worse light-he declares that the rebel broke the
Triple Alliance and prepared England for slavery by instigating the
War against Holland. Shaftesbury is condemned as an unscrupulous
143
 Absalom and Achitophel
covers his selfish ends in a cloak of
politician who
describing
Shaftesbury's patriotism.
satire marksthelines son-"that
two-legged thing, born a shapeless lump, like anarchy."
Shaftesbury is not
Pungent
u nfeathered,
The portrait of
raillery or laughter. Satire is lightened by any
almost continuously good
humoured denunciation marks
false, implacable in Violent
and condemning. Direct friendship phrases such as
in principles and
and, above all,
place", "in
"A name to all "un fi
succeeding ages cursed." H hate!"x e d
Dryden does not refrain from giving the devil his
Shaftesbury for his qualities as ajudge-honest,
due. HeHowprevaeisres,
conscientious, and fair. The incorruptible,
tribute is, firstly, ,ef icsatienirti,c
part of the
technique-praising the villain's good qualities gives
denunciation of his bad qualities. An air of impartiality is Credibiprliotyduced.the
to
It has also been noted that the lines of praise were added
Shaftesbury was acquitted of treason. On the whole, after
Shaftesbury is painted in dark colours. The intellectual however
strength,
ascribed to him is used to good effect, by Dryden, to
emphasise
Shaftesbury's evil. His capacity for organisation and brilliant argument
are turned against him to make him appear as a disturbing Satanie
personality. But Shaftesbury is also made to seem somewhat foolish
in his misuse of his praiseworthy talents, just as there is somethine
slightly ridiculous about Milton's Satan. The weak body being
consumed by the restless turbulent energy, his wild ambition which
loves to slide and prefers fortune's ice to virtue's land, his insistence
On punishing a body which he could not please, and all this for
leaving his life's earnings to "that unfeathered two-legged thing, a
son"-these facts go to illustrate that,
Great wits are sure to a madness near allied
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.
The power of Dryden's satiric technique is remarkable.
Shaftesbury is shown to be a dangerous man but not so dangerouswas
man
that Dryden's satiric strength cannot put him in place. If this seems
not sensible enough to look after his own weak body, Dryden
to ask, then how can he be entrusted with akingdom? Surey country
the
touch of madness in his intellectual make-up would lead ne
to ruin if it is ruled by him. Here we have satire at its powerfulbest
Satani
vulgar jibes are direced at Shaftesbury, but he is built upinto asUSpet.
personality with the touch of insanity which renders his greatnessreducing
It is a moral attack on Shaftesbury, degrading him without
his potential for evil.
144
 Absalom and Achitophel: ASatire
When we come to Zimri or the Duke of Buckingham, we have
indeed,anexample of what Dryden himself calls ' fine raillery"- the
'strokethat separatesthe head from the body, and leaves it standing
place." Wit predominates
in the satire aimed at Buckingham, for he
inits dismissed as a mere political dabbler. He is meddlesomne rather
be and sarcasm to
calangerous. Dryaen uses the satirC method of irony
can
efectin this portrait. The
Bitblical Zimri is associated with the
great
qualitiesof restlessness,
sexual intrigue and treasonable plots; thus
name could not have been nore fortunate. Zimri
choice of
the
epitomised mankind, we are told for he was "chemist, fiddler,
statesmarn,and buffoon." One cannot miss the significance of lumping
words-Zimri's statesmanship is quite reduced to
togetherthese four could be
and| buffoonery. He spent his money wastefully and
fiddling fools. His attempts to form parties failed miserably-he
dupedevenby left." He is a "blest madman" in
Moft not faction, but of that was thousand freaks died in
bose restlessly inventive mind, "ten is conveyed. The
through the portrait, a tone of futility
thinking". All worth serious consideration
wictim is rendered ridiculously inept, not energy, folly and clashing
apicture of instability, wasteful aid of moon and
contradiction. He is casually demolished with the
does not make use of
madness, as one critic so aptly puts it. Dryden
abuse here.
any
satiric skill.
Shimei or Slingsby Bethelis portrayed with greatsuitability for
reveal its
The heroic couplet is exploited to the full to Dryden uses balance,
satiric anti-climax and juxtaposition of opposites. in these lines on
antithesis, the pause and surprise to good effectpraise and the hope
Shimei. The couplet begins on a note of apparent each case they end in an
that there is some good in the man, but in broke the Sabbath,
anticlimax or with a sting or surprise. Shimei never government.
but for gain. He never uttered an oath, except against the is God's
He shows zeal for God, but hatred to his king (who shown
are
Tepresentative on earth). Shimei's zeal, wisdom and piety
Interwoven in the
In the pursuit of hatred, cunning and blasphemy.
abstentions which are
POrtratt is contemptuous laughter for Shimei'samusing to read of his
no virtue but merely part of his avarice. It is
eding his cooks spiritual food. He was the suitable sheriff to have
atown which had once experienced the ravages of fire, 'says
fire.
Dryden sarcastically, for he did not dare to light even his kitchen
Shimei has no''redeeming quality. He is totally corrupt and uses for
unlawful ends, the very laws he had sworn to uphold. But he is also
145
Absalomand Achitophel
and mean, pinched and small, except in
something cheap
rebellion. The satire in this case makes Use of a comic bathos.

portrait of Corah or Titus Oates makes use of

impiety and
The
and vanity is indicated by
contempt. His insolence phrase recalls the
SCOm
and
"monumental brass". The calling
brazen serpent of! him a
as Corah would save Englandby
which saved the Israelites, justtime, the term 'brass"
Moses
his
stupendous lies. At the same also suggests
brainless quality Irony and sarcasm run through the portrait t a
ironic defence of Corah's low birth, Dryden declares that great actions
may be performed by a weaver's son as well as by a prince. After;
a comet originates in earthly vapours. And at the martyrdom of St
Stephen, there was noinquiry into the ancestry of the false whe
whose lies sent the innocent to death. Corah is a prophet witnesses,
visions, but he is a prophet of falsity. Where he could not use facts of
the present (because they did not exist), he spoke as a prophet of
future truths. The irony cannot be missed. Dryden mercilessly exposes
a false, scheming, corrupt and hypocritical man in Corah. It it a
despicable personality which emerges in these lines, which more than
any other in the poem makes use of direct abuse. Withering contempt
and direct insulting language are employed for Corah, though these
devices are embodied in a witty play of words. Rough physical
description of the victim renders him contemptible: he had sunken
eyes, and a voice neither harsh nor loud, which were sure signs that
he was neither choleric nor proud (apparently enough, Dryden implis
the opposite of what is stated.) Another mocking, remark is that his
long chin indicated his wit. His ruddy complexion is amusingy
referred to. He had a capacity to remember fantastic plots which
nobody could believe. Further, his remarkable judgement suited the
times and the opportunities offered. He could put together variob
pieces of evidence to create a believable plot. He even claimed to hae
attained a degree as Doctor of Divinity, though God knows hoW. n
is brought to the lowest level possible by Dryden's sarcasm. Hislow
birth, his impudence, his false claim of public service, the fantastic lies
concocted out of memory and judgement, the cynical exploitationof
religious sanction for his own odious Purposes all avail him nothing
His fate will be the fate of millions of other false witnesses. Hehasno
redeeming quality but is too contemptible to be deplored. Heiistotally
wrong by every asSumption that underlies the poem.
Absalomn (the Duke of Monmouth) is treated leniently by Dryden
evil
He is presented rather as and
having been led astray by the clever
146
 Absalom and Achitophel: A Satire

Achitophel. Ambitious and restless,-his wrong is not a crime: "It is

juster to
lament him than accuse". However, the presentation of
of ironical touches which are implicit
Absalom is not totally devoid
lines such as:
rather than explicit in
mighty minds,
What cannot praise effect inwhen ambition blinds?
When flattery soothes and
moderately.
Tact demanded that Dryden should treat Absalom
irony here.
The satirist is subdued to subtle
lines; they are
The other rebels are casually dismissed in a few
references are made to
beneath the notice of' the lofty poets. Satirical
stupidity
afew of them and Dryden picks a single quality, hypocrisy,
and lawlessness.

Satire against the English People in General

Dryden does not spare the English people in general in his
satire. He ridicules their inconstancy, fickle-mindedness and perpetual
readiness to revolt. They are a headstrong moody murmuring race,
impossible to be governed easily, by any king, in times of peace. Even
God could not please them.
They had enough freedom but clamoured for more. Dryden
ridicules them by saying that, like savages, they wanted to live in a
state of Nature. "Their fickleness can be' illustrated from their warm
welcome to the King and their subsequent demand for his removal.
They claimed the power to make kings and to remove them at will.
Dryden mocks them by saying that they are governed by the moon,
which was believed at that time to be source and cause of insanity. He
jocularly mentions that they changed their kings once in twenty years.
Dryden is aware of the feuds, rivalries and hypocrisies of
different orders of religion. Priests of all religions are the same. They
would defend and respect their gods because they are a source of
livelihood for them. The priests belonging to different denominations
are portrayed as mercenary, selfish, ambitious and hypocritical.
Satire on Epic Scale
One of the important aspects of Absalom and Achitophel as a
satire, is its epic aspect. It has the qualities of a heroicpoem concerned
with the career of a king and the fate of his kingdom. Dryden elevates
the poem to the level of epic poetry, "where the plot, the characters,
the wit, the passions, the descriptions are all exalted above the level
147
Absalom and Achitophel
common converse, as high as the imagination of a poet can
of
proportion to verisimilitude." David
resembles a car y
them with
hero of an ancient epic and has a band of loyal followers who can be
compared to the loyal angels of Paradise Lost. Achitophel stands fOr
God-ike
Adam, and his
Satan, Absalom may be compared tofall of Adam. seduction
Achitophel may be compared to the In fact,
compares Achitophel to "the serpent" and
"hell's dire
agent", DrydeThen
satire thus gains a dignified quality.
Satire both Individual and General
Dryden's satire is both representative and individual.
Some of
his portraits may stand as types and personalities. Zimri is at one
Duke of Buckingham and also a type of a politician who
game of politics as a profession. Achitophel is both theplays
Earltheof
Shaftesbury and also an embodiment of the political intriguer, interested
in fishing in troubled waters. Shimei is both Slingsby Bethel and ha
type of religious man who gives up holiness for political ambition and
personal profit. He also represents the type of magistrate who allows
the wicked along rope for his political gains. During his office, "treason
was no crime, the sons of Belial had a glorious time."
Aspects of Satiric Style : Its Variety
Satire, in the hands of Dryden, becomes a multi-faceted
instrument of great power. Sometimes, Dryden is harmless in his
humour and sometimes his irony takes the form of heavy hammer
strokes. He uses the suave and polite Horatian manner when he deals
with the Royalist party. His moral indignation finds an outlet in biting
and vitriolic criticism of the King's enemies. He has been able to
combine the "Juvenalian vigour and passion with the urbane raillery
of Horace". Of course, the treatment varies with the character. In D.
N. Smiths opinion, if the portraits have elements of caricature tht
satire demands, the accentuating of some features to the neglect or
others, they are none-the-less life-like. Side by side are the friendly
portraits which are excellent in their slighter style.
Dryden uses his gift of rhetoric with great art and skill
powernuof
poem. He is an expert at debating or rhetoric in verse. Hisspeechesof
argumentation and critical portrait are seen at its best in Achitophel
both Absalom and Achitophel. The temptation of Absalom by his
against
and the arguments advanced to persuade the son to revolt observes
father can find no parallel in English satire. As A. W. Ward
148
 Absalom and Achitophel :A Satire
satirist,afterthe
fashion of a great parliamentary orator, has his
The andhis treatment of it well
in hand; through all the force of
praise, there runs the consciousness
subject
invectiveand thefervour of the
situation may change. This causes
the possibility that the political
wariness in the author' who is always
the self-control and
ofconstant unmindful of his cue."
inspiration and never
a
the choice of words. The effectiveness
his
aliveto for
an instinct selects words and
Drydenhas condensation and in clarity. Dryden
satirelies in their connotation. He does not try for
of their,appropriatenessand exquisite tenderness. He
phrasesfor pure poetry of has
effects, nor
does he write as well as of variety. Moreover, he
value of moderation greatest master of what is called
knowsthe the situation.
sense of
justice,too. Dryden isaccording to the theme and
a style changes the high-flown
thefAuid style. This conversational to
poem, the satire shifts from the polite raillery. This style
In the iaiomatic abuse todemands an everchanging
from the coarse
rhetorical, comparison and contrastand flexible style which
works through It is the
like a comedian's monologue. characters. In the poem, we have
mimicry
on individual argumentative passages of
gives the satire its gripheroic passages, portraits,
classical passages, statues, damning, satirical
ironical David is
rhetorical flourish,small injustice. The final
oration of King
and jibes on political temptation of Absalom. Toquote
persuasive stylistic hall of
matched byAchitophel's Achitophel is in one sense a
Wheatly : "Absalom and can perform endless experiments. In other
exhibition in which Dryden
Achitophel is a stylistictour de force."
words, Absalom and purposes
handling the heroic couplet for satiric contains
Dryden's skill in couplet is self-sufficient and
wrote the poem. Each
improvedas he
aparticular thought. For example:
the State
Kings are the public pillars of nations weight.
Born to sustain and prop thework of Kings
He knew it was the proper things.
To keep proportion even in smallest
adds strength to
Flexibility reinforces the effect of rhetoric and
human nature have become
SWeethess. Dryden's generalisations on
proverbs :
Great wits are sure to mnadness near allied
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.
But wild ambition loves to slide, not lstand
and.Sa
And Fortune's ice prefers to Virtue's

149
 AbsalomandAchitophel
Conclusion
regarded as the most vigorous
Dryden is correctly refinement with fervour.and
Drypoldenishedis
combining
of English satirists
debating in rhyme and Absalomand Achitophel
unequalled at
his power of arguing in
field
verse. It may be said that Absalom andd
of political satire. Apart from the jishpiltaoypshel
Ac
has no
interest
rival
of
in
the
the
poem and
reader lies in its observations
general. His
contempomoderraryn
its historical value, its appeal to the
on English character and
generalisations on
the
on the
weaknesses of man in
have a perennial interest. Dryden triumphed over the pere
human nature
difficulties of his chosen theme. He had to give, not abuse or
but the poetry of abuse and politics.
He had to criticise
criticise a son
whom the politics,
father still liked; he had to make Shaftesbury denounce the
King but
he had to see to it that the King's susceptibilities were not wounded.
He had to praise without sounding servile and he had to criticise
artistically. Dryden achieves all this cleverly and skilfully. Achitophe's
denunciation of the King assumes the shades of a eulogy in Charles's
eyes. Absalom is a misguided instrument in Achitophel's hands. The
poem is certainly a political satire, but it is a blend of dignity with
incisive and effective satire.

UNIVERSITY QUESTIONS
1. What is the meaning of satire? How do you assess Absalom and
Achitophel, as a satire.
2. Absalom and Achitophel is regarded as the greatest political verse
satire in English. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer
3. Write a note on Dryden as a satirist with special reference to
Absalom and Achitophel.
4. The "amendment of vices by correction", says Dryden, 1s uit
true aim of satire. How far is this aim fulfilled by Absalot a
Achitophel?
5. Illustrate from Absalom and Achitophel, the leading8 characteristics
of Dryden as a satirist.
6. Write ashort essay on Dryden's satiric method, illustrating from
Absalom and Achitophel.
7. What is the nature of satire? What qualities
are the particular
Achitophe?
of the form as used by
Dryden in Absalom and