Absalom and Achitophel

About “Absalom and Achitophel”

Absalom and Achitophel is a satirical poem by John Dryden, published in 1681. Written in heroic couplets, it retells the biblical story of Absalom's rebellion against King David. The poem serves as an allegory for events in England during the Exclusion Crisis, which involved King Charles II and political tensions over his succession. It also alludes to the Popish Plot, a conspiracy theory from 1678 that fueled anti-Catholic sentiment. Dryden used the biblical narrative to comment on contemporary political issues without directly addressing them. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)