AGES ERA PERIOD
RESTORATION AND 18TH CENTURY
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The Duke of Monmouth
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Charles II
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The Earl of Shaftesbury
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Cromwell
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Detailed explanation-1: -The poem tells the Biblical tale of the rebellion of Absalom against King David; in this context it is an allegory used to represent a story contemporary to Dryden, concerning King Charles II and the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681).
Detailed explanation-2: -Absalom metaphorically represents Charles II’s illegitimate son James Scott, the 1st Duke of Monmouth, who rebelled against Charles and the throne in Dryden’s time.
Detailed explanation-3: -Through the use of satire and allegory in “Absalom and Achitophel, ” Dryden ultimately argues that the Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis were devious ploys to divert the rightful order of succession and prevent James II from ascending the throne.
Detailed explanation-4: -Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden | Poetry Foundation.
Detailed explanation-5: -Dryden writes Absalom and Achitophel at the request of Charles II to defend the King and his followers against the Whigs led by the Earl of Shaftesbury. From history, we know that Charles had no legitimate who could ascend the throne after his death.