Any analysis of this poem needs to be rooted in the historical context of the situation. Dryden was writing "The Medal" in answer to judiciary decision to release a leader of the anti-Absolutist party from the tower of London and free him of any charges of treason. The Earl of Shaftesbury's supporters celebrated this decision by minting a coin that they paraded loudly through London. Dryden, himself a fervent supporter of the monarchy, who already had intellectual altercations with the person in question, wrote this poem in answer to this event.
Considering this context, the content of the poem is pretty straightforward. The narrator disapproves of the decision of the high jury and accuses the defendant of treason and likens him to the leader of a sect with blinded followers. The interesting concept is the severity of the word choices and the less than subtle criticism. The level of emotionality that is visible within the poem lines is enormous. Dryden uses different metaphorical connections to ancient history, mythology and religious themes. These comparisons, almost all of them well known in the intellectual circles of 17th century Britain, add another layer to the critique. Dryden's historical comparison allows the reader to see that the treason is not only evil and disconcerting in the current situation, but would also have been considered bad in other circumstances. The usage of mythological themes heightens the emotional value of the writing, as the original emotions connected to the myth are added on top of the already present strong emotions. The religious comparisons are used to differentiate between the good, or Dryden's opinion and the evil, or the actions of the republican supporters.
In Dryden's world view an English country that is not fully dependent on the Royal house is not only less desirable but also inconceivable, as parts of the poem hint at. These grim visions of a heaven gone bleak and a British soil that dies under the weight of democracy strengthen the conviction within the poem. It is interesting to note that while the initial part of the poem is full of satirical themes, especially when the medal is described, the later parts loose that satirical note and become more serious and more direct in their critique. While it is fair to assume that this is due to an emotional change during the writing process, the actual reasons are unknown. "The Medal" thus speaks volumes about the political opinions of the author and has no qualms in completely and utterly degrading any opponent.
