Death be not proud poem & Absalom and Achitophel poem

Name :parmar Nidhi Shamjibhai

Semester : M. A Part 1

Paper : literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration period. 

(Paper no 101) 

 

~Class Assignment :

Q ~ write a note on 'death be not proud' poem by John donne. 

Introduction :

Sonnet X", also known by its opening words as "Death Be Not Proud", is a fourteen-line poem, or sonnet, by English poet John Donne (1572–1631), one of the leading figures in the metaphysical poets group of seventeenth-century English literature. Written between February and August 1609, it was first published posthumously in 1633. The poem is included as one of the nineteen sonnets that comprise Donne's Holy Sonnets or Divine Meditations, among his best-known works. 

∆ poem :

 

∆ About the poet :

John Donne (1572-1631) is remembered as the greatest of the Metaphysical poets. His works display a unique mixture of intellectual wit, passionate emotion, and religious devotion. Donne's style is marked by the use of metaphysical conceits, where two unlike things are compared in an metaphysica elaborate and surprising way, such as comparing lovers to a compass or to a flea. His poetry often deals with thenes of love, death, immortality, and spiritual faith. In his early career, Donne wrote sensual and witty love poetry, but later, after becoming Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, he turned towards devotional and meditative verse. His works continue to influence English literature for their depth, complexity, and originality.

∆ Key facts :

◆Petrarchan sonnet containing an octave and a sestet

∆ Analysis : 

The poem begins with the speaker directly addressing Death, telling it not to be proat beastful. He challenges the cominon belief that Death in mighty and terrifying, insisting that it has no real power over humans.

 The speaker introduces the idea that Death is overestimated and should not consider itself fearsome. 

Donne explains that the people Death claims to conquer do not truly dic. Death is only like a short sleep, a temporary pause paus before the soul awakens to eternal life Just as sleep sleep gives rest and pleasure, death is a brief transition that leads to greater joy. 

This stanza diminishes the power of Death, showing it as harmless compared to what comes after. 

The speaker points out Death is not in charge of itself It serves fate, chance, kings, disease. Even medicine, poppy magic produce sleep more gemly than Death can. By highlighting these limits, Donne shows that Death sabordinate to other forces. 

In the fisal lines, Donne delivers a paradoxical conclusion, after humans awaken from the "short sleep of death, Death itself will be destroyed. For those who believe as eternal life, death has no lasting power. The poom ends with the powerful line, "Death, thou shalt die emphasizing that Death is temporary and ultimately defeated.

 

∆ Home assignment :

Q write character sketch of  Absalom & Achitophel. 

Introduction :

Absalom and Achitophel is a celebrated satirical poem by John Dryden, written in heroic couplets and first published in 1681. 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). The poem also references the Popish Plot (1678).

∆ About the author :

After John Donne and John Milton, John Dryden was the greatest English poet of the 17th century. After William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, he was the greatest playwright. And he has no peer as a writer of prose, especially literary criticism, and as a translator.

Dryden was born in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire, where his maternal grandfather was the rector of All Saints. He was the eldest of fourteen children born to Erasmus Dryden and wife Mary Pickering. His father was paternal grandson of Sir Erasmus Dryden, 1st Baronet (1553–1632), and wife Frances Wilkes, landowning gentry who supported the Puritan cause and Parliament.

Character sketch :

 

1) Absalom

2) Achitophel

1) Absalom :

Absalom is the illegitimate son of King David and the main character of the poem. David has no legal heirs, but Absalom is his favorite child.

Absalom is very handsome, ambitious, and popular. He has proved himself as a brave warrior, and the people of Israel love him almost as much as David does. Achitophel notices this and believes the Jews would accept Absalom as their next king. He starts

encouraging Absalom, reminding him of his royal blood, and slowly tries to convince him to

rebel against his father, King David. At first, Absalom does not want to betray David—he

doesn’t believe he has the right to the throne. But Achitophel keeps flattering him, and

Absalom’s own desire for power grows stronger. In the end, Absalom agrees to rebel. As he travels with Achitophel, he begins to copy Achitophel’s dishonest ways. Both of them mistake David’s kindness for weakness. But David finally acts firmly, shows his power as king, and stops their rebellion. Dryden does not clearly say what happens to Absalom afterward. In Dryden’s time, Absalom represents James Scott, the Duke of Monmouth—King Charles II’s illegitimate son—who tried to take the throne. Through Absalom, Dryden argues that Charles II and his brother James have the God-given right to rule, while Monmouth does not. Dryden does not present Absalom as an evil man. Instead, he shows him as someone tempted by ambition and blinded by pride. However, Dryden insists that because Absalom (like Monmouth) was born illegitimately, he has no rightful claim to the crown. Wanting power that does not belong to him is, according to Dryden, a sin against God.

Although Dryden admires Absalom’s bravery and achievements in war, he strongl condemns

his attempt to steal the throne, calling it unjust and unethical.

 

2) Achitophel

Achitophel is the villain of the poem and an untrustworthy advisor to King David. He is clever, ambitious, and willing to do anything—whether good or bad—to get power. On the outside, he acts like David’s friend, but secretly he wants either to control Israel himself or destroy itcompletely.

Achitophel spreads lies and fear among the Jews, especially stirring up hatred against the

Jebusites, in order to weaken David. He also strongly dislikes David’s brother (the rightful heir to the throne) and wants to make sure he never becomes king. To attack David, Achitophel spreads the false idea that David is a Jebusite. He knows this is a weak argument, but he also knows the Jews are afraid of Jebusites, so it works. While he is persuading Absalom to rise against his father, his loyal supporters create trouble in the Sanhedrin

(the Jewish council), trying to damage David’s rule from within. Eventually, Achitophel convinces Absalom to rebel, and they travel through Israel together, winning people’s support. But like Absalom, Achitophel misunderstands David’s kindness, thinking it means David is weak. When David finally acts, Achitophel realizes that David still has God’s power and authority on his side. In history, Achitophel represents Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftesbury, a powerful politician in Dryden’s time. Shaftesbury founded the Whig party and supported the Exclusion Bill, which aimed to block King Charles II’s brother James from becoming king. He also encouraged Charles’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, to rebel. Shaftesbury was later

tried for treason but was found not guilty.

Through Achitophel, Dryden makes the point that both Charles II and his brother James have the rightful claim to rule. He shows that Shaftesbury (like Achitophel) had no right to interfere with the divine right of kings.

Conclusion : 

Thus to conclude we can say that the Absalom and achitophel is a satire and based o biblical characters as symbol of England 's people. 

This story present that time of political situation of England but satirical way. Dryden very well write the Absalom and achitophel characters it help story to understand. 

~ essay assignment:

Q write the theme on 'Absalom and Achitophel'

By John Dryden

∆ Introduction :

Absalom and Achitophel is a celebrated satirical poem by John Dryden, written in heroic couplets and first published in 1681. 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). The poem also references the Popish Plot (1678).

 

∆ About the Author :

After John Donne and John Milton, John Dryden was the greatest English poet of the 17th century. After William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, he was the greatest playwright. And he has no peer as a writer of prose, especially literary criticism, and as a translator.

Dryden was born in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire, where his maternal grandfather was the rector of All Saints. He was the eldest of fourteen children born to Erasmus Dryden and wife Mary Pickering. His father was paternal grandson of Sir Erasmus Dryden, 1st Baronet (1553–1632), and wife Frances Wilkes, landowning gentry who supported the Puritan cause and Parliament.

∆ theme :

1) Politics, Allegory, and Satire

John Dryden’s poem Absalom and Achitophel looks like a simple retelling of the Bible story of

King David and his rebellious son Absalom. But in reality, it is a political allegory about the

events of Dryden’s own time in England. Absalom represents the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate but popular son of King Charles II, and David represents Charles himself. The story is a way for Dryden to comment on the Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis, two major political problems of the 1670s and 1680s.The Popish Plot of 1678 was a false story spread by Titus Oates, who claimed that Catholics were planning to kill King Charles II. This created fear and hatred toward Catholics. Soon after, the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681) began, in which some politicians tried to stop James, Charles’s Catholic brother, from becoming king after him. Dryden believed these events were foolish and dangerous. He thought they were simply excuses to attack the rightful order of succession and weaken the monarchy.

In the poem, Achitophel, who represents Lord Shaftesbury, is shown as a clever but wicked

politician. He flatters Absalom (Monmouth) and pushes him to rebel against his father.

Achitophel pretends to be concerned about liberty and religion, but in truth, he only wants power for himself. Dryden describes him as someone who either wants to control the state or destroy it completely. This shows how Dryden viewed Shaftesbury and the Whigs: selfish and untrustworthy. Dryden also connects these events with England’s past. He mentions the “Good Old Cause,” which refers to the Puritan rebellion and the English Civil War, when Charles I was executed and Oliver Cromwell ruled. By bringing this up, Dryden suggests that the Popish Plot and Exclusion

Crisis were nothing new—just another attempt to overthrow a king.Rumors also play a big role

in the poem. For example, people say David’s life is in danger from his brother and wife. This

reflects the lies of Titus Oates, who accused James and Queen Catherine of plotting against

Charles. Dryden mocks these claims as nothing more than a “pageant show,” or a kind of fake performance. He admits that the plot had no sense in it, but it still caused fear and confusion, which then fueled the Exclusion Crisis. Dryden does not spare the other politicians who supported the Exclusion Bill either. He satirizes them as foolish talkers who lack real wisdom. Characters like Balaam, Caleb, and Jonas represent real politicians such as Theophilus Hastings, Arthur Capel, and Sir William Jones. Dryden presents them as either weak, ridiculous, or dangerous. Together, they spread unrest among the people and even influenced Parliament, represented in the poem by the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin.Through all of this, Dryden’s main argument is clear: the Popish Plot and Exclusion Crisis were not really about protecting religion or liberty, but about personal ambition and rebellion. He defends the divine right of kings and insists that succession must follow its rightful path. If kings can be easily overthrown, he warns, then society itself will collapse. His satire, therefore, tries to expose the lies of the rebels and remind the people of England to remain

loyal to their king.

2) God, Religion, and the Divine Right of Kings

At the heart of John Dryden’s poem Absalom and Achitophel is the theme of God, religion, and the divine right of kings. Dryden uses a biblical story from the Book of Samuel to comment on the politics of 17th-century England. The poem tells the story of King David of Israel and his illegitimate son Absalom, who is persuaded by Achitophel to rebel against his father. But behind these biblical figures stand real historical people: David represents King Charles II, Absalom represents the Duke of Monmouth (Charles’s illegitimate son), and Achitophel represents Lord Shaftesbury, a powerful politician. By retelling this story, Dryden argues that kings like Charles II and his brother James (the rightful heir) have their authority directly from God, and no one—not even Parliament—has the right to take it away.

Dryden describes David as an anointed king—chosen by God through a sacred ritual of oil

poured on his head. This shows that David rules with divine approval. By comparing David with Charles II, Dryden suggests that Charles too was chosen by God. Dryden even calls David “godlike” and “after heaven’s own heart,” which means David and God share the same spirit andpurpose. Similarly, Charles, who returned to England after years of exile, is seen as a rightful and god-approved king. Dryden reminds readers that Charles had suffered exile just as David did, but God restored them both to their thrones, proving their divine right.

When Achitophel tries to convince Absalom to take the crown, Absalom hesitates. He admits

that according to heaven’s decree, he has “no pretence to royalty.” This means he knows God has not chosen him to rule. He even points out that his father governs with “unquestioned right” and has been blessed by God. In the same way, Dryden argues that the Duke of Monmouth (Absalom’s real-life counterpart) has no rightful claim to be king. Monmouth might be popular, but he is illegitimate, and only God can decide who rules. David even tells Absalom that he would gladly give him everything, even the crown, if he could—but the crown is already “destined for a worthier head.” This “worthier head” is David’s brother, who represents James, the rightful heir to Charles II. Though James was unpopular in England because he was Catholic, Dryden insists that he was still chosen by God. Absalom

himself admits that when David dies, the throne will pass by law and by divine will to David’s brother. This is the collateral line of succession, which Dryden uses to defend James’s right to rule after Charles.In the end, David explains clearly: if God had wanted Absalom to be king, He would have made him king. Since God did not, Absalom has no right to rebel. Absalom’srebellion is crushed, David is restored, and the people once again accept him as their lawful ruler. Dryden’s message is unmistakable: just as David was the rightful king of Israel, Charles II is the rightful king of England, and after him, James is the lawful heir. No ambition, no rebellion, and no Parliament can change what God has decreed.

3) Power and Ambition

In Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel, the main driving force of the story is power and ambition. King David is the ruler of Israel and holds power by right, but he is gentle, mild, and avoids bloodshed. His softness makes him look weak in the eyes of Achitophel, his cunning and ambitious advisor. Achitophel believes that people will only rebel when their king is weak, so he encourages Absalom, David’s son, to aim for the throne. Absalom is brave and respected as a warrior, but under Achitophel’s influence, he too becomes ambitious and begins to desire power

that does not belong to him. Achitophel is shown as clever, bold, and restless. He is never satisfied with the position he already has and wants to rule at any cost. He pretends to care for the people but actually uses them to gain power. He spreads lies, manipulates crowds, and hides his selfish ambition behind the excuse of fighting for liberty. Absalom, at first loyal to his father, also gives in to ambition.

He cleverly wins the people’s hearts by pretending to be powerless and sorrowful, even shedding tears, so that they see him as their savior. In this way, both he and Achitophel gain strength against David.However, Dryden shows that true power does not come from deceit or rebellion. King David finally reminds everyone that his authority is given by God, not by man. He warns that although he has been patient, he can use force if needed, and God himself proves his support through thunder and divine signs. In the end, Dryden makes it clear that ambition which challenges the king’s rightful power is sinful and dangerous, while the king’s lawful power, coming from God, is always stronger. This reflects Dryden’s belief that just like David, King Charles II of England ruled by divine right and no ambition could take his throne away.