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Cyclopedia of Literary Places

Absalom and Achitophel

Absalom and Achitophel

Author: John Dryden (1631–1700)

First published: 1681

Type of work: Poetry

Type of plot: Satire

Time of plot: Biblical antiquity

John Dryden's choice of ancient Jerusalem as the setting for his poem is mandated by the story he tells in this heroic-couplet satire. The poem recounts the rebellion of Absalom and Achitophel against King David recorded in the Old Testament, but is actually about contemporary English politics, with Jerusalem representing late seventeenth century London.

*Jerusalem. Capital city of the ancient Israelites (also called Sion), beginning with King David's reign. Within the poem itself, Jerusalem is never described; its presence is merely assumed as the backdrop for the action, as dictated by history. What interests Dryden is not so much the location of the story, but the psychology of the characters involved in the rebellion. Insofar as he uses a biblical story to reflect political events in England, Jerusalem represents London. Dryden uses biblical events and characters in the poem to mirror the political situation in late seventeenth century London—which can be equated with Jerusalem—when Lord Shaftesbury (equated with the biblical Achitophel) opposed Charles II (King David) in the choice of his brother, James, as heir to the throne. Shaftesbury conspires with the Duke of Monmouth (Absalom), the king's illegitimate son, to become king.

Dryden's narration utilizes biblical history as a model for other historical events, with its characters incarnating great archetypes that recur through history. Since Absalom's rebellion may be seen as an archetype for political uprising by a family member against a legitimate ruler, Jerusalem may also be seen as an archetype—a symbol of any major capital city in which legitimate government is threatened by insurgency from within.

Although Dryden's contemporaries understood his poem as a veiled statement about events in London, the poem's narrative widens the potential interpretations of the story, its characters and its setting. Thus, Dryden's Jerusalem transcends time and space, becoming not only London but a city anywhere at any time whose government is threatened by internal rebellion.

—Marsha Daigle-Williamson

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
"Absalom And Achitophel." Cyclopedia of Literary Places,Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CLP_0008.
APA 7th
Absalom and Achitophel. Cyclopedia of Literary Places,Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CLP_0008.
CMOS 17th
"Absalom And Achitophel." Cyclopedia of Literary Places,Salem Press, 2015. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CLP_0008.