The Medall

satire by Dryden

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June 30, 2026

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The Medall is a satirical poem written by John Dryden and published in 1682. It was a response to the acquittal of the Earl of Shaftesbury, a prominent Whig politician, on charges of treason.12

Dryden, a staunch supporter of the monarchy and a Tory, used the poem to express his unsparing invective against the Whig party and their leaders. The poem is characterized by its strong denunciations and ridicules the Whig leaders, particularly Shaftesbury, who is depicted as a villainous figure.31

The Medall is considered a masterpiece of denunciation and a significant example of Dryden's skill in verse satire. It reflects the intense political climate of England in the early 1680s, during the Exclusion Crisis, when there was significant debate over the succession of the Catholic Duke of York to the throne.31

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John Dryden
Verse satires of John Dryden
…Dryden published early in 1682 The Medall, a work full of unsparing invective against the Whigs, prefaced by a vigorous and plainspoken prose “Epistle to the Whigs.” In the same year, anonymously and apparently without Dryden’s authority, there also appeared in print his famous extended lampoon, Mac Flecknoe, written about…
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…Dryden published early in 1682 The Medall, a work full of unsparing invective against the Whigs, prefaced by a vigorous and plainspoken prose “Epistle to the Whigs.” In the same year, anonymously and apparently without Dryden’s authority, there also appeared in print his famous extended lampoon, Mac Flecknoe, written about…
Read More