"Absalom and Achitophel" veils its political satire under the transparent disguise of one of the most familiar episodes of the Old Testament. John Dryden's ultimate goal as poet laureate and Tory, in supporting and influencing the king, is offset by his need to appear objective and thorough. To overcome this, Dryden constructs a poem that draws upon a well-understood concept of the mortal man's fallibilities and the immortal God's omnipotence. Since nature is inconsistent and thus unreliable, he justifies any flaws that would undermine the king under this guise. On the other hand, he emphasizes the king's proper place on the throne with references from a consistent and thus always reliable bible. By slyly reminding the common audience of the king's mortal tendencies, he inadvertently reminds them of their own, and subsequently succeeds in maintaining the status of Charles II as the rightful king. .
Dryden justifies and appeases the king by downplaying Charles II's infamous flaws as a natural and unavoidable consequence of being human. When Dryden describes Charles II as David using images of nature, he is describing Charles in his relation to the person, rather than to the office, of kingship. Many of Charles II's infamous trails of adultery would wreak havoc upon the average God-fearing citizen. Dryden reconnects the audience, the citizens of London and the King himself, by emphasizing the natural tendency of all mortal men to be fallible. Dryden legitimizes the king's promiscuity by associating the king as father of the land, suggesting that human nature is rather constant in its failings, thereby deflecting criticism of Charles's moral lapses:.
In pious times, e"r priestcraft did begin,.
Before polygamy was made a sin;.
When one man on many multiplied his kind,.
Ere one to one was cursedy confined;.
When nature prompted and no law denied.
Promiscuous use of concubine and bride;.
