A mock- heroic verse form uses the formal elements which characterize the heroic poem genre to picture a fiddling state of affairs. It therefore creates a contrast between the signifier and content that consequences in a satiric and absurd consequence. roasting the characters in the secret plan and their actions. In the signifier and manner. MacFlecknoe is a sort of mock-epic or mock-heroic verse form. The really gap of MacFlecknoe is characterized by heroic poem rising prices which has a amusing consequence. Flecknoe who is known to be a worthless poet is compared to Augustus Caesar. The mock-heroic vena is continued throughout the verse form in the portraiture of Shadwell as MacFlecknoe. The note of dry niceness is continued besides. being inseparable from the mock-epic device. MacFlecknoe is regarded by his male parent as the suited individual to win to the throne of obtuseness because he looks olympian with his immense majority. like the immense oak trees and is at the same clip devoid of the power to believe like them. We find another touch of mock-heroic and dry image when MacFlecknoe is compared to Arion. a musician whose music attracted the mahimahis. but MackFlecknoe attracted merely “little fishes” . The name Shadwell was sounded from several vicinities. but the vicinities named by Dryden were seamy and inhabited by artless people. MacFlecknoe is so ironically called “prince of thy harmonious band” .
His muscic excited the green-eyed monster of the celebrated instrumentalist. John Singleton. who renounced the victory he had won. We find another illustration of the same manner and technique in the description of the topographic point which has been chosen as the site of MacFlecknoe’s enthronement. The ceremonial of the enthronement is described with the usage of hyperbolic linguistic communication which ill-accords with pettiness of the subject and gives rise to laughter because of this mutual exclusiveness. At the same clip no opprobrious words are used and the tone is dry niceness. Flecknoe is called “the grey prince” who appeared in stateliness. high on a throne. Thus herein besides blooms the heroic poem manner. But what is most interesting that here besides we find mockery scene. The throne is one which Flecknoe had built with his ain attempts and consisted of a heap of books written by him. At his right manus sat Ascanius. Rome’s hope and pillar of the province.
Furthermore. we find another jeer image when Shadwell takes curse that he would keep echt obtuseness in his land throughout his life and would ne’er set up any nexus with wisdom or intelligence. Then in a mock-epic manner. Dryden tells us that Shadwell held. in one manus. non the Earth but a big mug of strong beer and in the other manus. non a sceptre but a worthless book written by Flecknoe. Again. 12 vultures had appeared to bode Remulus’s triumph over Remus. Now twelve aged owls appeared over Shadwell to assure an imperium of obtuseness for Shadwell to govern over. Flecknoe’s enthronement address is once more couched in linguistic communication which befits an heroic poem but which conveys jeer when applied to Shadwell: Heavens bless my boy! from Ireland let him reign
To far Barbadoes on the western chief.
The address begins in the right heroic poem manner but so we come to the lines in which Shadwell is ridiculed. Flecknoe calls upon his boy to maintain progressing in the field of ignorance and therefore exhorts him: Success let others learn. larn 1000 from me. Pangs without birth. bootless industry. The jeer continues till the terminal. Shadwell’s tragic scenes. says Flecknoe. are diverting instead than hapless ; and his amusing scenes are so dull. Indeed. Dryden conceived Mac Flecknoe as a sarcasm against his modern-day dramatist Thomas Shadwell. The rubric itself points to the absurd dimension of the verse form by doing Shadwell the boy of ( Mac ) Richard Flecknoe. another author whom Dryden despised. Flecknoe is described as a male monarch. which recalls the position of heroic poem heroes. but his land is Nonsense. a name that mocks his supposedly heroic position. He abdicates in favour of the most obtuse of his kids. Shadwell. who. merely because of his rational failing. is the siutable inheritor to the throne. The scene of the enthronement. normally a baronial subject. is significantly set in a bedraggled environment. therefore deflating its aristocracy. To reason. the mechanism of the mock-heroic genre consists in praising the characters for their pettiness and coarseness. Therefore. Dryden ne’er straight attacks Shadwell. instead he obtains his consequence of minimizing him by lauding his ignorance and bad authorship.
