unruly and ungrateful Dryden uses satire to fight back He wants to protect the royal line This shows he is a typical poet of his time Many poets in his age did this Use of Bible Story Dryden tells the story of David and Absalom But this is not just a holy story David means King Charles II Absalom means his son Monmouth Achitophel means Shaftesbury Dryden shows Absalom s ambition in the following line Desire of greatness is a god-like sin Dryden uses allegory to hide real names This is very typical of poets in his time Poets often used old stories to speak about present events But this way also makes the poem universal Common Human Feelings Dryden shows the love of a father In the end David speaks with power He says he is both a father and a king He will not let Absalom take the crown He says God is with him David is ready to fight But he is also patient He says Beware the fury of a patient man This shows Charles as a wise and strong king Dryden also shows ambition flattery lies and fear These are human feelings People of all times feel them So even if the poem is political it speaks to all people This makes it universal Clear Message for All Dryden writes with a purpose He wants peace order and strong rule He warns people not to follow rebels He says Kings are the public pillars of the state Born to sustain and prop the nation's weight The author asserts that power must follow law These ideas are not only for th-century England Every country needs law and peace Every country faces fights over power Dryden s poem speaks to all people in power It speaks to common people too So his message is typical for England but universal for the world In conclusion Dryden is typical because he writes for his king He uses Bible stories and supports one political group He follows the style of his time But he is also universal because he shows deep truths about human life He talks about love ambition power and loyalty These things are the same in every age and place So Absalom and Achitophel is not only about England It is about all people at all times That is why Dryden is both typical and universal