English 336/636 AE Discussion and In-Class Writing Questions 5 SSI 2011

1. Why does Dryden cloak his topical political poem Absalom and Achitophel as a Biblical account of a long-past incident in the life of King David of Israel? What does Dryden gain by doing this? Why doesn't he just speak openly? In "To the Reader" prefaced to the poem, Dryden tells us, "The conclusion of the story I purposely forbore to prosecute because I could not obtain from myself to shew Absolom unfortunate. . . . Were I the inventor, who am only the historian, I should certainly conclude the piece with the reconcilement of Absalom to David. And who knows but this may come to pass? Things were not brought to an extremity when I left the story. There seems yet to be room left for a composure; hereafter, there may only be for pity."

2. In the last paragraph of "To the Reader," Dryden seems to claim that as "[t]he true end of satire is the amendment of vices by correction" that Absalom and Achitophel are the targets of the poem. But how could the poem be construed as advice to David/Charles that tough love will better serve both his son and his country? See lines 925-26 and David/Charles' following speech.

3. In what ways is the opening of Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel a defense of King Charles II?

   Take into consideration several comments on Charles by the diarist Samuel Pepys:

   • 8 December 1666. Mr. Pierce did also tell me as a great truth that Tom Killigrew should publicly tell the King that his matters were coming into a very ill state, but that yet there was a way to help all--which is, says he, 'There is a good honest able man that I could name, that if your Majesty would imploy and command to see all things well executed, all things would soon be mended; and this is one Charles Stuart--who now spends his time in imploying his lips and his prick about the Court, and hath no other imployment. But if you would give him this imployment, he were the fittest man in the world to perform it.' This he says is most true.

   • 26 April 1667. To Westminster Hall and took a turn with Mr Eveling, with whom walked two hours, till almost 1 of the clock--talking of the badness of the government, where nothing but wickedness, and wicked men and women command the King. That it is not in his nature to gainsay anything that relates to his pleasures. That much of it arises from the sickliness of our ministers of state, who cannot be about him as the idle companions are, and therefore give way to the young rogues; and then from the negligence of the clergy, that a bishop shall never be seen about him, as the King of France hath always. That the King would fain have some of the same gang to be Lord Treasurer; which would be yet worse, for now some delays are put to the getting gifts of the King, as that whore my Lady Byron, who had been, as he called it, the King's seventeenth whore abroad, did not leave him till she had got him to give her an order for 4000l-worth of plate to be made for her; but by delays, thanks be to God, she died before she had it. He tells me the King of France hath his Maistresses, but laughs at the foolery of our King, that makes his bastards princes, and loses his revenue upon them--and makes his mistresses his maisters. And the King of France did never grant Lavaliere anything to bestow on others; and gives a litle subsistence, but no more, to his bastards.

   and John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester's poem A Satyr on Charles II.

4. How does the tone of the opening 10 lines of Absalom and Achitophel differ from the tone of the opening 12 lines of Mac Flecknoe?

5. What connections are there between Aphra Behn's portrayal of Willmore's sexuality in The Rover (especially his distinction between marriage and love in Act V

   we'll have no vows but love, child, nor witness but the lover; the kind deity enjoin naught but love! and enjoy! Hymen and priest wait still upon portion and jointure; love and beauty have their own ceremonies; marriage is as certain a bane to love as lending money is to friendship: I'll neither ask nor give a vow,--though I could be content to turn gipsy, and become a left-handed bridegroom, to have the pleasure of working that great miracle of making a maid a mother, if you durst venture [242])

   and that of Charles/David in Dryden's poem?

6. In Absolom and Achitophel, how well does the "rape" image in lines 471-6 apply to Charles II/David whose sexual vigor is praised in the opening of the poem? For the concept of "a pleasing rape" (474), see the speeches of Willmore and Blunt duirng their attempted rapes of Florinda in The Rover, Act III, scene iii, pp. 201-203, and Act IV, scene iv, pp. 224-25.

7. What connection can you see between the heart of Dryden's conservative political philosophy in the poem, "What prudent man a settled throne would shake?" (796), and Thomas Jefferson's words in The Declaration of Independence, "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed"? The idea is that the stability of what is known is preferable to the uncertainty of what is unknown.