It was Neo-classical period in English literature and Dryden, along with another brilliant satirist Alexander Pope, was the poet who dominated the literary scene. Satire was the most popular form of poetry and both Dryden and pope were great masters of this poetic genre.
Mac Flecknoe is the product of a literary and personal rivalry. The poem was Dryden's reply to Thomas Shadwell's poem The Medal of John Bayes which in turn was a criticism of Dryden's earlier poem The Medal. Shadwell's poem was an unfair and indecent attack. This provoked Dryden and he brought out Mac Flecknoe that silenced his adversary.
Dryden's satirical genius is fully revealed in the poem. It is a satire on Thomas Shadwell who was once a friend of Dryden.
Dryden uses allusions, parodies and quotations profusely to ridicule the great hero of the poem.
Irony is the most potent weapon Dryden wields in his literary warfare. Shadwell's enormous stupidity is highlighted throughout the poem. The man's corpulence, his mountain belly and his addiction to opium are referred to. Apart from this attack on his adversaries personal attributes, Dryden uses, most of the poem to criticise the 'poetic talents' of his rival.
Mac Flecknoe is designed to be a mock heroic poem. So the interest is always focussed on this aspect.
Dryden begins the poem in a mock serious manner with a general platitude on the brevity of life. Flecknoe is compared to Augustus Caesar. Both began their reign when young, both ruled long. This is a mock heroic jibe in which Flecknoe's is pictured as the Augustus of the vast empire of Dulness.
Flecknoe calls himself John the Baptist. His humble role is only to prepare the way to the great Shadwell, the Jesus who is to redeem nonsense from total extinction.
Criticising the musical pretentions of Shadwell, Dryden calls him the new Arion the legendary musician of Lesbos whose music charms even dolphins.
The coronation of Shadwell as the King of Dulness is graphically described in detail. Here Dryden makes very effective use of the mock heroic. Shdwaell sits like Ascanius the son of Aeneas, the 'second hope of Rome'. A thick fog of Dulness played around his head instead of a halo. He was made to swear like Hannibal. In his left hand he held a mug of a ale instead of the royal orb. In his right was Love's kingdom as his sceptre or royal authority and power. In ancient time Romulus saw twelve vultures and founded Rome. Similarly twelve owls flew past Shadwell. Father-Flecknoe makes a long speech advising the prince never to write good poetry but to take inspiration from his father alone and perpetuate the glory of the vast empire of Dullness.
Dryden concludes his mock heroic poem with a Biblical allusion. In the Bible Elijah the prophet is called up to Heaven in a whirl wind. His mantle falls on Elisha who inherits the prophetic power. Dryden makes Flecknoe falls down through a trap door cutting short his declamation. A subterranean wind blows up carrying the drugged robe of the father upwards. It falls on the shoulders of Shadwell who gets twice the portion of the father's poetic talents.
Thus Dryden has used the Bible and the ancient history most effectively to make Mac Flecknoe a superb mock heroic satire.
