ABSTRACT
Allegory is an essential component of the vocabulary of those who work with the texts, the drama, and a good portion of the music of the seventeenth century. This chapter discusses three issues relating to the interpretation of political allegory. They are what are the impediments to our understanding and why do they exist, in what ways can this sort of allegory be seen to function within a seventeenth-century context and how can a greater appreciation of seventeenth-century political allegory and its role in society assist our understanding of Purcell and his music. The chief problem with political allegory is that it does not play a prominent role in our own culture, and is therefore something with which we tend to be largely unfamiliar. Given Purcell's apparent sensitivity to dramatic issues it surmise that in some instances the music is used to promote a certain reading of a text which is either allegorical itself or leads to an allegorical interpretation.
