Write the substance and explanation of the poem Absalom and Achitophel

Write the substance and explanation of the poem Absalom and Achitophel (Lines 150-197).

Ans.

Substance of the Poem

Absalom and Achitophel is a political satire. In this poem Absalom is Duke of Monmouth and Achitophel is the Earl of Shaftesbury. He is a false advisor of Duke of Monmouth. This political satire was directed against the adversaries of Charles II and the instigators of the Popish plot. This poem is a piece of Tory Propaganda which was written on the suggestion of the king specially to discredit Shaftesbury and Whigs. The Whigs were determined to ensure a Protestant succession. In Parliament, they tried to change the law of succession by getting passed the Exclusive Bill. They tried their best to legalise the coronation of Monmouth. In the mean time Titus Oates affirmed that he heard of the Popish plan of the murder of Charles II. Its main purpose was to establish a Catholic state under the leadership of James. Consequently many Catholics and Jesuits were put to death. Thereafter Tories came into power and Charles dissolved Parliament. Since the public opinion was in favour of Shaftesbury, the king asked Dryden to write a poem to defame Shaftesbury and affect his trial.

In this poem the evil character of Shaftesbury is highlighted. David (Charles II) is the king of England. Monmouth is his illegitimate son. The king loves him very much and overlooks his vices. The condition of the state is very bad. People are planning to raise a rebellion. Catholics are against Protestants. They want to murder the king. Shaftesbury is a disloyal and ambitious man. He wants either to be the king of the state or to destroy the whole state. For this he is in search of a suitable man and he finds this man in Absalom. He instigates Absalom. Though Absalom is a hesitant man, he is easily allured by Shaftesbury. Thereafter Achitophel tries to deviate Absalom from the moral path and he shows him green pastures and succeeds in dissuading him from the right path. He becomes active and moves round the country to instigate and assemble them. It is all the planning of Achitophel. In the end the planning of the rebels is foiled. King David (Charles II) emerges victorious and rules peacefully for a long period. In this extract, the poet highlights the vices of Shaftesbury telling how he hatched a conspiracy against king Charles II. But he praises him as a Judge.

Explanations

(1) Of these the false Achitophel was first,

A name of all succeeding ages curst:

For close designs and crooked counsels fit,

Sagacious, bold, and turbulent of wit,

Restless, unfixed in principles and place,

In power unpleased, impatient of disgrace:

A fiery soul, which, working out its way,

Fretted the pigmy body to decay

And o’er-informed the tenement of clay,

A daring pilot in extremity,

Reference to the Context: These lines form a part of Dryden’s famous political satire Absalom and Achitophel’.

The poet introduces the character of Earl of Shaftesbury (Achitophel) who was the principal leader of the group of conspirators comprising of the courtiers and noblemen.

Explanation: The poet hatefully introduces Shaftesbury to the reader and says that he was the main conspirator against the king, Charles II. He was such a treacherous and wicked man as his name was accursed even by the coming generations. He was admirably suited only for hatching fool proof intrigues and conspiracies. He was dangerously cunning, devil daring and wickedly practical. He was self witted, rash and fickle. He was inconsistent and never adhered to any principle or time of action. He was full of revenge and apt in picking quarrels. He was short statured and wasted his energy in mad pursuit of inordinate ambition. Though he was not a man of imposing personality, he possessed nevertheless a bold and too energetic a mind which could not be contained in his dwarfish physique and over flowed it with the result that it left a very bad effect on his health. However, whenever the political atmosphere is surcharged with danger, he found himself quite comfortable and proved an effective leader in turbulent situation.

(2) In friendship false, implacable in hate.

Resolved to ruin or to rule the state;

To compass this the triple bond he broke,

The pillars of the public safety shook,

And fitted Israel for a foreign yoke:

Then seized with fear, yet still affecting fame,

Usurped a Patriot’s all-atoning name,

So, easy still it proves in factious times

With public zeal to cancel private crimes.

How safe is treason and how sacred ill,

Where none can sin against the people’s will,

Where crowds can wink and no offence be known.

Since in another’s guilt they find their own !

Reference to the Context: These lines have been selected from the poem, ‘Absalom and Achitophel’, composed by John Dryden. The poet further highlights the vicious character of Shaftesbury who was the chief conspirator against the king Charles II and wanted to dethrone him.

Explanation: The poet says that Shaftsbury was not a true and sincere friend. He was hard to be appeased. He was determined either to rule the state or destroy it. He was selfish to the core and formed a secret treaty with France. Though he was overtaken with fear, he was very anxious to get fame. He felt very easy and comfortable in contentious time for it suited his nature and provided him with an opportunity to display his artfulness. He was so vicious that he felt safe in treason and in his opinion vices were sacred. He was in favour of a confused state of things in which everything is huddled muddled and it becomes very difficult to know the actual doer of an offence. Since all are involved in vices in the state of anarchy, no one raise a finger against the other.

(3) Yet fame deserved no enemy can grudge ;

The stateman we abhor, but praise the judge.

The Israel’s courts ne’er sat an Abbethdin

With more discerning eyes or hands more clean,

Unbribed, unsought, wretched to redress,

Swift of dispatch and easy of access.

Oh! had he been content to serve the crown,

With virtues only proper to the gown,

Or had the rankness of the soil been freed

From cockle that oppressed the noble seed,

Reference to the Context: As above.

The poet highlights the vices of Shaftesbury. He was a timid man but he was very desirous of fame. He endangered the safety of England and hatched a conspiracy against the king.

Explanation: The poet says that inspite of his vices, Shaftesbury deserved some praise. He was disdained as a politician, but was praised as a judge. Even his enemy could not deny that he was a fine and just judge. There had never presided so just, so impartial, so honest a judge in the civil court of the Jews as Shaftesbury was. He could not be influenced by crooked means. He was always ready to do justice to the wrongs. He was very swift in disposing cases. He could easily be approached. If he had been content to serve the country in the capacity of the Justice and if he had not brought infamy to his profession by involving in politics, he would have been a great man and David would have written a song in his praise instead of writing a psalm. But by joining politics he did great harm to himself and to the country.