Critically review John Dryden's satirical portrayal of the Duke of Buckingham in the extract "The Portrait of Zimri" from the political allegory Absalom and Achitophel.

In “The Portrait of Zimri,” Dryden satirizes the Duke of Buckingham under this pseudonym, a Hebrew word that translates to “my praise” in English.
The Duke, or Zimri, is portrayed as a representative of all men who were born into wealth and privilege. He suggests that the Duke is a man of resolute opinions—all of which are ignorantly wrong—and transient occupation, thinking himself to be a musician one moment and a politician the next. Dryden asserts that the Duke is actually a “buffoon” of sorts who does not have a real identity.
Because of this, the Duke is presented as wasting his time in the company of loose women and fools, both groups that would simply nod in agreement with him. The Duke is also a black-and-white thinker, judging in extremes with no ability to understand nuance, which further suggests he is an immature person, easily taken advantage of by those who used his gullible nature against him.
At the end of the poem, Dryden says that the fools with which Zimri surrounded himself robbed him of his wealth and honor because of his senseless ego. Overall, Dryden is mocking the Duke of Buckingham to illustrate what happens to nobles who believe falsely in their own imperviousness. More concerned with how he appeared than who he actually was, the Duke is a naive figure who is ultimately degraded into a fool.