Description
Book SynopsisExploring the political climate during the final years of the reign of Charles II, when John Dryden wrote his great public poems and several of his dramatic works, Phillip Harth sheds new light on this writer's literary activity on behalf of the monarch. The poems Absalom and Achitophel and The Medall, and the dramatic works The Duke of Guise and A
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993 "Indeed, [Harth's] study is as much about the history of Tory ideology, a history in which Dryden is a critical figure, as it is about Dryden's literary production. Placing the composition of each work in its historical context, Hearth brings greater skill to bear on this task than any previous commentator."--American Historical Review
Table of ContentsPrefaceCh. 1The Pulpit3Ch. 2Parliament and the Press18Ch. 3The Nation's Savior62Ch. 4The Association138Ch. 5A Second Restoration206Epilogue269Appendix 1: Political Allusions in Dryden's Prologues and Epilogues, 1678-1684273Appendix 2: The Misplaced Lines in Absalom and Achitophel279Abbreviations and Note on Documentation286Notes287Index329
