Absalom and Achitophel (Allegory)
This satire uses biblical characters—specifically King David and his children—as allegorical representatives of Dryden's political contemporaries. In this allegory, King David stands in for King Charles II. Meanwhile, the Duke of Monmouth is represented by the character of Absalom, David's son. The Earl of Shaftesbury, on the other hand, is represented by Achitophel, an advisor to the king who persuades Absalom to rebel against his father's authority. These characterizations reflect real political dynamics: Shaftesbury and his Protestant allies had indeed attempted to install Monmouth, an illegitimate son of the king, as the successor to the throne. By framing the story of the exclusion crisis through a biblical allegory, Dryden managed to elide certain complicating factors—among them widespread anti-Catholic bias—affecting public attitudes toward the conflict. Instead, he describes the events through the lens of family loyalty and betrayal.
The Hind and the Panther (Allegory)
The Hind and the Panther depicts various religions allegorically as a series of animals, the two most prominent being a Hind, or deer, that represents Catholicism and a panther that represents Anglicanism. This poem is a firmly pro-Catholic work, and Dryden's religious allegiances are expressed through the figures of these animals. The panther is depicted as predatory, greedy, and alluring. Meanwhile, the hind is described as being sleek, pure, elusive, and cautious. The hind is also female, suggesting that the Catholic Church is both fragile and nurturing. By emphasizing the purity and fragility of this animal, Dryden suggests that the Catholic Church is pure, avoiding the various seductions and distractions of other religious sects.
The Medal (Symbol)
The titular object of Dryden's The Medall is a symbol of political opportunism and shallowness. Following the Exclusion Crisis of the early 1680s, the Whig Earl of Shaftesbury was tried for treason. After his acquittal, his political allies forged a medal bearing his likeness. Dryden centers his critique of Shaftesbury and his peers around the object of the medal, describing the object, and the images on it, as literally shiny, shallow, and superficial. In doing so, he suggests that the same is true of its creators. Moreover, Dryden uses the process of the medal's creation as a way to criticize his targets, noting that they have taken many days to make the medal, whereas God needed only a day to create mankind. With this symbol, Dryden mocks both the actual man depicted on the medal—Shaftesbury—and all those involved in the act of making it.
Ships (Symbols)
In Annus Mirabilis, a poem partly about English military might, Dryden uses the country's fleet of ships as a way to symbolize its waxing and waning power. By tracking the state of these ships throughout the work, the reader can keep track of the state of England itself—not merely its military success, but also the morale of its people. When the poem describes ships as being in disrepair, damaged, or wrecked, Dryden suggests that England itself is downtrodden. Meanwhile, when the naval fleet is shining or sailing smoothly, Dryden hints, the country as a whole is in a state of glory and competence. Similarly, the ships of England's enemies symbolize those nations: the ships of the Dutch navy are depicted first as impressive and impregnable, and then as defeated and retreating as English victory becomes assured. Meanwhile, the Belgian navy is described as "haughty," a trait symbolized by their "high-raised decks."
Classical Literature (Motif)
Dryden translated texts from the ancient world, and his critical writing, most notably An Essay on Dramatick Poesie, contrasts Greek dramas with modern ones. Meanwhile, in his poetry, Dryden often turns to classical texts as a way to illustrate his points. "A Song for St. Cecilia's Day" contrasts the Catholic saint of the title with the mythological figure of Orpheus. "To the Memory of Mr. Oldham" references the Aeneid, using the characters of Nisus and Euralys as parallels to himself and the poem's addressee. Meanwhile, in Mac Flecknoe, the power and impressiveness of ancient Rome are invoked to create a contrast with Dryden's ridiculed subject, Shadwell. Classical texts do not have a single stable meaning in Dryden's work, but rather depend on context—serving in the above examples to glorify Catholicism, emphasize the closeness of a friendship, and mock a rival.
