The document provides background information on John Dryden's satirical poem "Absalom and Achitophel". It summarizes that the poem allegorically represents the political issues surrounding the Popish Plot, the Exclusion Bill, and the Old Good Cause from Dryden's time through biblical characters. It also draws parallels between the Exclusion Bill's goal of preventing a Catholic monarch and recent citizenship laws in India that exclude Muslims. In less than 3 sentences, the document analyzes contemporary political issues through Dryden's 17th century satire.

1. Contemporary
Political issues in
Absalom and
Achitophel
Prepared by: Jheel Barad
Roll no.; 18
Dept. of Eng., . (sem-1)
M.K.B.U
Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar university.
Paper no.: 101 Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration period.

2. Table of contents
About the writer Introduction of
the text
Recent related
issue
Resources
Political issues
in this satire
01 02 03
04 05

3. ABOUT THE WRITER
- JOHN DRYDEN
• John Dryden was a English Poet. His life
span was from 9 Aug 1631 to 12 May 1700.
• He was appointed as England’s first poet
laureate in 1668.
• He neither wrote poem with an emotional
excitement like romantics nor intellectually
like metaphysicals. His subject of matter were
and aimed at expressing thoughts in precise
and concentrated way.

4. Introduction to the text
-Absalom and Achitphel
• The Poem Absalom and Achitophel is a Political Satire published
in 1681, which is written in heroic couplet.
• It is rooted in Contemporary time.
• These satire relates to the story of king David’s favorite son
Absalom and his friend Achitophel who persuades Absalom to
revolt against his father. It has allegorical representation of real
public figures of his time with the Biblical characters.
“The true end of satire is to correct vices by correction.”

5. • It was an age of psycho-fancy, Dryden was a ‘sycophant.’
• Absalom and Achitophel doesn't fall in the real definition of
satire.
• It was the age of great political turmoil. This poem along
with people of that age also satirizes political issues of his
time.

6. Contemporary Political issues
The Popish
plot
The old good
cause
Exclusion bill
A B C

7. The Popish Plot
The Popish plot was complete fictitious plot .
It was planned by Titus Oates and the plot was widely believed.
He Alleged Jesuits (Roman Catholics) for planning the murder of king
Charles II in order to bring his Roman Catholic brother James II on throne.
It resulted into death of 22 innocent people were murdered.
Allegorised as a plot, created by Corah to discredit David and his brother
and place Absalom on the throne.
This gave birth to Exclusion Bill.

8. The Exclusion Bill
The Earl of Shaftesbury, the leader of the Whigs introduced the exclusion bill.
The Exclusion Bill was prompted by the mass anti- Catholic Hysteria of the Popish Plot.
Exclusion Bill was brought up to stop James II (Roman Catholic) brother of King Charles II from
having succession of throne.
Supported Charles’s illegitimate son, Duke of Monmouth (protestant) for succession of throne.
Tories Opposed it and Whigs supported it.
Dryden allegorizes it through biblical story of David and his son Absalom, Who tried to discredit
David’s brother and eliminate him from royal succession.
End of crisis: Shaftesbury who opposed James II was supported financially by Louis XIV of
France. Later’ Louis switched financial support to Charles II.

9. CAA,2019
The CAA (Citizen Amendment Act) was passed by parliament in 2019.
Under this bill all religion from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan are
permitted to get their citizenship in India.
Hindu, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jain, Parsis or Christian. The list of religion didn’t
give eligibility to Muslims.
Religion was used as a criteria for citizenship under Indian Law.
Trying to exclude Muslims from the nation or trying to grow Anti– Muslim
atmosphere in the nation.

10. The Old Good Cause
The old good cause- raise commonwealth and ruin kings.
This term is used as a satire to the puritan rebellions of the English Civil War.
The King Charles I was handed and Parliament was set up under Oliver
Cromwell. After few years people realised it to be wrong decision and felt
monarchy better than Democracy.
Dryden refers this term and incident and tries to remind people that the old
cause everyone supported and regrated later. Again they going on a path
which we will be regretted later.
People would regret throning illegitimate son of Charles II

11. Resources
Corp, Edward, Edward Gregg, Howard Erskine-Hill, and Geoffrey Scott. A Court in Exile: The Stuarts in France, 1689–1718. 1st
edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Heald, Henrietta. Chronicle of Britain: Incorporating a Chronicle of Ireland. Farnborough, Hampshire: Chronicle Communications Ltd.,
1992.
Hill, Christopher. The Good Old Cause - The English Revolution Of 1640-1660 - Its Causes, Course And Consequences - Extracts From
Contemporary Sources. New York, 1949.
Litte, Patrick. “Cromwell and the Good Old Cause.” Olivercromwell.Org (blog). Accessed December 5, 2021.
http://www.olivercromwell.org/wordpress/?page_id=28.
“Parliament Passes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019.” Accessed December 5, 2021.
https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195783.
Regan, Helen. “Citizenship Amendment Bill Explained: India’s Controversial Bill That Excludes Muslims - CNN.” Accessed December
5, 2021. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/11/asia/india-citizenship-amendment-bill-intl-hnk/index.html.
Slater, Joanna. “India Citizenship Law Protests: Here’s What You Need to Know - The Washington Post.” Accessed December 5,
2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/why-indias-citizenship-law-is-so-
contentious/2019/12/17/35d75996-2042-11ea-b034-de7dc2b5199b_story.html.

12. Thank you