English Language · English Literature

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the structural and thematic features of John Dryden's mock-heroic satire 'Mac Flecknoe'? I. Written in heroic couplets, the poem parodies the style of classical epics such as Virgil's 'Aeneid' by inverting epic machinery like prophecies and coronations into ridicule. II. The narrative portrays Richard Flecknoe as the king of 'Nonsense' who selects Thomas Shadwell as his successor because Shadwell surpasses all others in absolute dullness. III. The mock-coronation is set in the luxurious aristocratic court of Charles II, utilizing sacred oils to ceremoniously anoint the new monarch of literature. IV. At the conclusion of the poem, Flecknoe sinks below the stage mid-speech, and his mantle falls upon Shadwell, symbolizing the doubled inheritance of dullness. Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below: