Rape of The Lock (Mock Epic)

Rape of The Lock (Mock Epic)

By Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope was born in 1668. He is considered a representative poet of the 18^th century. The Rape of the Lock is his masterpiece. It is a mock epic poem. It is a great satire of contemporary London society. It is the mirror to the 18^th century aristocratic social life. It is a representative poem of the age of pope. It is, in fact, a satire upon feminine playfulness and pride. The foul fashion of the contemporary society has been focused by Pope as satiric style.

Mock epic may be considered as the little reformation of epic poem. Epic’s work of art is very large and vigorous. But in mock epic, mere matter is given much priority. This mere matter is expressed through laugh and satire. Mock epic is the expression of mere/trivial thing through laugh and mockery. The conflict between goodness and men heaven and earth is focused in epic poem. At the same way, Pope has mentioned the discord between the two families regarding a mere matter through his mock epic poem. We see Baron as an opposite power of Belinda in The Rape of the Lock. Belinda is defeated by Baron in spite of having the guard of supernatural beings. Belinda is entirely helpless before the scissors of Baron. 

The Hellenic beauty of Belinda is the source of her so called pride. Her all power and pelf are inherent in her beauty. Even she is always escorted by powerful supernatural beings. Her clothes are different from others. She thinks that she is free from all danger. But all types of awareness became vain. The fate and foul pride of helpless woman becomes the puppet of the hand of men. All pride of the women is the hand of the men. All efforts to sustain their vanity become vain a moment by the men.

There is no way left for them to express their mourning. The women seem to be a powerless power in the eye of the society. The lock (a portion of hair) of Belinda is cut by Baron that has expressed by Pope as a temporary devil power. The women cannot cross their limitation and willing power that has been indicated through this event (cutting the lock). This event (cutting the lock) has been considered as the irony of fate according to the discourse/lecturer of Clarissa. After cutting the lock, the consolation of Clarissa indicates the irony of fate of Belinda. Pope has mentioned Hampton court. This place attracts courtiers, politicians, writers and men of different professions. Here people gather for fun and entertainment. Here young ladies exhibit their charms and win the heart of the young lovers. Belinda is the goddess of beauty and charm. She is the representative of the decadent aristocratic society. Through her character, Pope describes the impoliteness and immorality of the English society of the eighteenth century.

Belinda loves lap dog more than her lovers. She always tries to make fool of her lovers. The poet satirizes her for her idleness. Her dog knows when to wake up her. After waking up, she must perform her toilet. Her dressing table has a number of expensive beautifying articles like powder, paint and jewellery boxes.  In fact, Belinda is in love with her own beauty. The toilet is like a church to her. Her cosmetics are like her offerings to the goddess of beauty. Belinda is what she is not. She deceives others as she deceives herself. She loves Baron at her heart. But she rebukes and abuses him. Ariel, her guardian encouraged her to avoid the company of men. She is very conscious about her reputation and morals. Through the character of Belinda, Pope depicts the aristocratic women of her age. She is complex character. Pope has attacked the so called fashionable culture. Belinda is a woman of so called drawing room society. She feels proud of her lock. Belinda visits the Hampton court and plays card. Baron is her opposite player. He tries heart and soul to defeat Belinda. But he could not defeat her. He is broken hearted. He is very weak to the beauty of Belinda. His heart is burning. He is totally unable to win the heart of Belinda. On the other hand Belinda defeats him during playing card, Baron could not tolerate it. At last he cut the lock of Belinda. Clarissa supplies the scissors in the hand of Baron to cut the lock of Belinda. Here we see the two-fold nature of Clarissa.

After cutting the lock of Belinda, she becomes shocked. She is seriously lamenting. At this moment Clarissa comes to console Belinda through vigorous moral statements. On the other hand she informs Belinda as an object of laugh and mockery. Belinda could not receive her lock in spite of great efforts. Her prayers top Zeus like the hero and heroine of the epic. Pope has set up the lock of Belinda in the heaven. So it cannot be recovered. Belinda is consoled to make faith to the goddess of love. The hero and the heroine of epic poem get the heavenly touch at the termination of the epic. At the same way Pope has set up the lock of Belinda in the heaven. There is another reason of considering The Rape of the Lock as a mock epic. The poet has allegorically focused the goddess and goddesses who participate in different types of activities. These supernatural beings have been considered as the representative of fake gentlemen in England. Ariel guards Belinda like a dog. Even he takes the lechery of the fake gentle men of that time. The society of England was dominated by inferior devils thoughts. The poet has wanted to express his opinion through the vigorous lecture of Clarissa. Very mere matter has been furnished by the vigorous behavior in Rape of the Lock.

There is no big arrangement of war in The Rape of the Lock like epic poem. But there is struggle in drowning room in The Rape of the Lock. There is a contribution of god and goddess here like epic poem. After all we can say that The Rape of the Lock is a masterpiece of mingling fact and fiction, reality and fancy. The satire in The Rape of the Lock is no malicious, indeed the malice is controlled. The picture of the trivial occupations of the society could have been much bitterer.