this Bible story to show pain in the father-son fight It also shows that love is not enough A good son should not fight his father This point helps us feel the truth behind politics Bad Friend Achitophel is the worst man in the poem He means Shaftesbury In the Bible Achitophel was wise but tricky In the poem he tells Absalom to take the crown He wants to rule the country himself He uses Absalom for his own gain The poet writes that Achitophel is Resolv'd to ruin or to rule the state This shows how some men use others to get power Dryden shows that such leaders are not honest They do not care for the country They only want to win Fake Plot Dryden discusses a pageant show or fake plan He means the Popish Plot This was a lie told by Titus Oates He said that Catholics wanted to kill the king Many believed him But Dryden says it was not true He says it was just to make people fear and hate This fake fear helped to start the Exclusion Crisis Dryden refers to this plot as Bad in itself but represented worse Bad Helpers Achitophel has many helpers Some are Balaam Caleb Jonas and Corah These names mean real men in England They are members of Parliament They wanted to stop James from becoming king Dryden shows them as silly weak or evil He says they talk too much and think too little They only want power and to fight the king Wise King 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 He waits but can also act Dryden uses this to show that the true king will win in the end In conclusion Dryden mixes the Bible and politics smartly He uses old names to discuss new problems He shows how love lies and pride can hurt a country His words help us see the truth The poem teaches that kings should rule and sons should obey It also warns us about bad friends and fake news Dryden s poem is more than a story It is a lesson for people in his time and even now