SCRUTINIZINGTHE PORTRAIT OF ZIMRI – JOHN DRYDEN ANDREW EUGENE ANALYSIS “The Banquet of Absalom attributed to Niccolòde Simone around 1650 “ (From Absalom & Achitophel) ANDREW EUGENE 1 THE POET ohn Dryden was born in 19 August 1631 and died in 12 May 1700. He was a poet, a literary critic, translator and a playwright who was appointed as Poet Laureate in 1668 and Royal Historiographer in 1670. He studied in the Cambridge University, United Kingdom. HIS WORK Astraea Redux, 1660 from The Wild Gallant (comedy), 1663 The Indian Emperour (tragedy), 1665 Annus Mirabilis (poem), 1667 The Enchanted Island (comedy), 1667, an adaptation with William D'Avenant of Shakespeare's The Tempest Secret Love, or The Maiden Queen, 1667 An Essay of Dramatick Poesie, 1668 An Evening's Love (comedy), 1668 Tyrannick Love (tragedy), 1669 The Conquest of Granada, 1670 The Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery, 1672 Marriage à la mode, 1672 Amboyna, or the Cruelties of the Dutch to the English Merchants, 1673 The Mistaken Husband (comedy), 1674 Aureng-zebe, 1675 All for Love, 1678 Oedipus (heroic drama), 1679, an adaptation with Nathaniel Lee of Sophocles' Oedipus Absalom and Achitophel, 1681 The Spanish Fryar, 1681 MacFlecknoe, 1682 The Medal, 1682 Religio Laici, 1682 Threnodia Augustalis, 1685 The Hind and the Panther, 1687 A Song for St. Cecilia's Day, 1687 Britannia Rediviva, 1688, written to mark the birth of a Prince of Wales. Amphitryon, 1690 Don Sebastian, 1690 Creator Spirit, by whose aid, 1690. Translation of Rabanus Maurus' Veni Creator Spiritus[25] King Arthur, 1691 Cleomenes, 1692 Love Triumphant, 1694 The Works of Virgil, 1697 Alexander's Feast, 1697 Fables, Ancient and Modern, 1700 The Art of Satire To the Memory of Mr. Oldham, 1684 J ANDREW EUGENE 2 THE POEM + GLOSSARY Some of their chiefs were princes of the land: In the first rank of these did Zimri stand: A man so various, that he seem'd to be Not one, but all Mankind's Epitome. Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong; Was everything by starts, and nothing long: But in the course of one revolving moon, Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon: Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking; Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking. Blest madman, who could every hour employ, With something new to wish, or to enjoy! Railing and praising were his usual themes; And both (to show his judgment) in extremes: So over violent, or over civil, That every man, with him, was god or devil. In squandering wealth was his peculiar art: Nothing went unrewarded, but desert. Beggar'd by fools, whom still he found too late: He had his jest, and they had his estate. a standard or typical example not easily bent; rigid; inflexible moving around a central axis a person engaged in chemistry someone who plays the violin a politician a foolish person a person who acts in a markedly unconventional or strange way complain spend wastefully or extravagantly something done or said for amusement ANDREW EUGENE 3 SCRUTINIZE IT TITLE he title ‘The Portrait of Zimri’ is cited from the mock-epic satire ‘Absalom and Achitophel’ narrated by John Dryden to fulfil the request of King Charles II. The part refers to the overweening character ‘Zimri’. ‘Zimri’ is the nick name given to mention the Duke of Buckingham in the satire by Dryden. The name means ‘my praise or my music’ in Hebrew. The name is alluded from the Old Testament of the Bible where it mentions an Israel King who ruled for 7 days by killing the King Ella. DEEPER “SOME OF THEIR CHIEFS WERE PRINCES OF THE LAND: IN THE FIRST RANK OF THESE DID ZIMRI STAND: A MAN SO VARIOUS, THAT HE SEEM'D TO BE NOT ONE, BUT ALL MANKIND'S EPITOME.” ohn Dryden uses third person narrative method to fabricate his poem. ‘Some of their chiefs were Princes of land’ means that some of the plotters brainchildren where belonging to the rich and probably the ‘Princes of land’. ‘In the first rank of these did Zimri stand’ proves that Zimri was one of the brainchildren. Dryden comments that Zimri seems to be a heterogeneous character and is entitled to be the quintessence of mankind. We can feel that Dryden is mockingly or not, is applauding Zimri or the Duke of Buckingham. “STIFF IN OPINIONS, ALWAYS IN THE WRONG; WAS EVERYTHING BY STARTS, AND NOTHING LONG: BUT IN THE COURSE OF ONE REVOLVING MOON, WAS CHEMIST, FIDDLER, STATESMAN, AND BUFFOON:” imri is said to be a person with fixed opinions but alas, all of the so said opinions were dead wrong. ‘Was everything by starts and nothing long’ depicts his unstable nature, his frail mind and inability to hold on to one thing for a long time. Within one lunar month he was a chemist, a violinist, a politician, and a fool's fool. Dryden mentions some fine arts like being a chemist and playing the violin. But still he is tagged a buffoon who wasted his time on futile fools. T J Z ANDREW EUGENE 4 “THEN ALL FOR WOMEN, PAINTING, RHYMING, DRINKING; BESIDES TEN THOUSAND FREAKS THAT DIED IN THINKING. BLEST MADMAN, WHO COULD EVERY HOUR EMPLOY, WITH SOMETHING NEW TO WISH, OR TO ENJOY!” hen displaying his foolishness he dedicated his whole time to flirting with women, painting, rhyming poems and heavy drinking. He was always employed among the fools who died by trying to think. ‘Blest madman, who could every hour employ, with something new to wish, or to enjoy’ Zimri’s life was nothing but merriment among the fools. Each hour he found something new to mock at and make fun. This shows that The Duke of Buckingham is heavily attacked by Dryden’s gunshots of epic mocking. “RAILING AND PRAISING WERE HIS USUAL THEMES; AND BOTH (TO SHOW HIS JUDGMENT) IN EXTREMES: SO OVER VIOLENT, OR OVER CIVIL, THAT EVERY MAN, WITH HIM, WAS GOD OR DEVIL.” riticizing and praising where his usual ways: says Dryden trying to highlight the characteristics of Zimri. Dryden paints Zimri’s character into a person who goes into the extremes. Either violent or civil Zimri has intentions of showing extreme judgement. He acted like every man whom he associated was either devil or god. He associated no moderate man. All were akin to extremists. Humorous, violent or courteous. So far we can fix the analysed parts of Zimri into one whole. He is pathetic. He is a man with taste, talent and extra rewarded foolishness. This makes him the perfect being for a mock- epic satire. “IN SQUANDERING WEALTH WAS HIS PECULIAR ART: NOTHING WENT UNREWARDED, BUT DESERT. BEGGAR'D BY FOOLS, WHOM STILL HE FOUND TOO LATE: HE HAD HIS JEST, AND THEY HAD HIS ESTATE” quander in other words would mean waste or flitter away. Zimri had his own art made for himself to flitter away money. Wasting money was his forte. Nothing or no-one went empty handed. Everyone took their chances to rob Zimri. He was made a beggar by the fools he associated. “He had his jest, and they had his estate”: he played the joker role and the fools took his belongings. T C S ANDREW EUGENE 5 SUMMARY his satire is displaying the loopholes of the famous Duke of Buckingham. A satire is made to attack the weaknesses of the people. It does not only destroy a person’s personality but criticize praise in a balance to overcome the weaknesses. The Duke of Buckingham nicknamed as Zimri in this satire had talent taste and wealth. But the fools he associated took their chances and time to slowly decay this pathetic person named Zimri. A satire is mainly not offensive but defensive. This extract is from the main satire ‘Absalom and Achitophel. This mainly points out politically and mentally corrupted people. Dryden is trying to criticize some political figures who practise abusing the power against the King. Since it is unlawful to attack these corruptions directly, Dryden uses three names from the Bible to attack them literally. Monmouth (Absalom) Shaftesbury the false tempter (Achitophel) The Duke of Buckingham (Zimri) Charles II (David); Titus Oates (Corah) Slingsby Bethel Sheriff of London (Shimei) ORNAMENTATION Lines 543 – 548 rhyming AA, BB, CC Lines 549 – 550 rhyming AA Lines 551 – 554 rhyming AA, BB Lines 555 – 558 rhyming AA, BB Lines 559 – 562 rhyming AA, BB Lines 563 – 564 rhyming AA Lines 565 – 568 rhyming AA, BB TECHNIQUES EXAGGERATION - "BESIDE TEN THOUSAND FREAKS THAT DIED IN THINKING." IRONY - "BEGGAD'D BY FOOLS ...HE HAD HIS JEST, AND THEY HAD HIS ESTATE." COMIC JUXTAPOSITION - "IN THE FIRST RANK OF [PRINCES] DID ZIMRI STAND, IN SQUANDERING WEALTH WAS HIS PECULIAR ART:" T ANDREW EUGENE 6 POSSIBLE THEMES IRRATIONALITY OF PEOPLE EXCESSIVENESS LEADS TO RIDICULE, EXPLOITATION AND DISASTER APPEARANCE AND REALITY SCRUTINIZING by Andrew Eugene is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://www.scribd.com/AndrewEugene.
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