Who does Achitophel represent in John Dryden’s allegorical poem Absalom and Achitophel?

The correct option is First Earl of Shaftesbury.

John Dryden’s 1681 poem Absalom and Achitophel is a celebrated political satire written in heroic couplets. The poem is a double allegory, using the biblical story of King David and the rebellion of his son Absalom (from the Second Book of Samuel) to represent the contemporary Exclusion Crisis in England.

In this allegorical framework:
- King David represents King Charles II of England.
- Absalom, David's beloved but rebellious illegitimate son, represents James Scott, the 1st Duke of Monmouth (Charles II's illegitimate son).
- Achitophel, the king's advisor who instigates Absalom's rebellion against his father, represents Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury was the leader of the Whig opposition who sought to exclude Charles II’s Catholic brother, James, Duke of York, from the succession in favor of the Protestant Monmouth.

Therefore, the figure of Achitophel directly satirizes and represents the First Earl of Shaftesbury.