Name : Muhammad Waseem

Class : BS English
Roll no : bsf1800781
Assignment submitted to: Mam Tasmia

RAPE OF THE LOCK AS A MOCK EPIC:

The epic is a narrative poem of supposed divine inspiration treating of a subject of great and
momentous importance for mankind, the characters of the story are partly human and partly
divine, and the language and style in which the incidents are related are full of elevation and
dignity. If a long narrative poem should satisfy all the tests of epic poetry, but if the subject
which is celebrated be of a trivial nature, like the cutting off a lock of a woman’s hair, which is
the story that is related in Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”, then such a poem is called a mock-
epic. A mock-epic poem is supposed to be the inspiration of a Muse and the language is stilted
and grandiose, but the subject is of very frivolous and of commonplace nature.
MOCK EPIC:
Mock-epic or mock-heroic or heroic-comical terms are applied to literary works in which the
epic or heroic tradition is ridiculed. Poem satirizes a minor incident by comparing it to the epic
world of the gods. It was based on an actual incident recounted by Pope's friend, John Caryll.
Arabella Fermor and her suitor, Lord Petre, were both from aristocratic recusant
Catholic families at a period in England when under such laws as the Test Act, all denominations
except Anglicanism suffered legal restrictions and penalties (for example Petre could not take
up his place in the House of Lords as a Catholic). Petre lusting after Arabella, had cut off a lock
of her hair without permission, and the consequent argument had created a breach between
the two families. Pope, also a Catholic, wrote the poem at the request of friends in an attempt
to "comically merge the two." He utilized the character Belinda to represent Arabella and
introduced an entire system of "sylphs," or guardian spirits of virgins, a parodised version of the
gods and goddesses of conventional epic.
Pope’s poem uses the traditional high stature of classical epics to emphasize the triviality of the
incident. The abduction of Helen of Troy becomes here the theft of a lock of hair; the gods
become minute sylphs; the description of Achilles’ shield becomes an excursus on one of
Belinda's petticoats. He also uses the epic style of invocations, lamentations, exclamation sand
similes, and in some cases adds parody to imitation by following the framework of actual
speeches in Homer's Iliad. Although the poem is humorous at times, Pope keeps a sense that
beauty is fragile, and that the loss of a lock of hair touches Belinda deeply. As his introductory
letter makes clear, women in that period were essentially supposed to be decorative rather
than rational, and the loss of beauty was a serious matter. “The New Star," Illustration by
Aubrey Beardsley for The Rape of the Lock. The humor of the poem comes from the storm in a
teacup of pride being couched within the elaborate, formal verbal structure of an epic poem. It
is a satire on the contemporary society which showcases the lifestyle led by some people of
that age. Pope arguably satirizes the society by being a part of it rather than standing outside
and looking down on the fellow beings. Belinda's legitimate rage is thus alleviated and
tempered by her good humor, as directed by the character, Larissa.
Characteristics of “The Rape of the Lock” as a mock-epic poem:
1. Parody:
Hazlitt has called the poem ‘the perfection of the mock-epic’. It belongs to the literary type,
called burlesque or parody., on a large scale. In it, not a single poem, but the whole type or
style of literature is parodied; the language and thought, proper to a serious theme are
reproduced in describing something ridiculous or trivial. The eighteenth Century with its
passion for the ancients, was familiar with the whole epic tradition and conventions. It was rich,
particularly, in bad epics itself. Pope makes the framework of his poem a parody of the epic
tradition. The most crucial parallel to epic is the scene which occurs just before the cutting of
the lock, when Ariel discovers the secret longing of the beautiful Belinda. He finds an earthly
lover lurking in Belinda’s heart:
“Sudden he viewed, in spite of all her art,
An earthly lover lurking at her heart.
Amazed to fate, and with sigh retired.”
The situation is apparently an echo of the moment in “paradise
Lost” when, after the fall of Adam and Eve, the angle retire, to
heavenly abode feeling sorry for them.
Pope called “The Rape of the lock” a heroi-comical poem. It
belongs to the class of literature called “burlesque”. A
burlesque is a parody on a large scale, in which not a single poem but a whole type of style of
literature is parodied, the language and thought proper to a serious theme being reproduced in
setting forth something ridiculous or trivial.
2. The Title:
The mock-heroic character of the poem is perceived in the very title. Rape is a serious moral
offence which means the violation of a woman’s chastity by force. It also refers to the seizure of
a lady by some ruffians in grossly inhuman manner. In any case, rape is a grave crime, affecting
the social decency of a human being. Pope has used this term in an amusing manner. The
possession of the hair of Belinda by the Baron is described by him in a mock vein. The title
evokes nothing but the mock-heroic sensation and well indicates the mock-heroic character of
Pope’s work.
3. The Action and Theme:
The action of “The Rape of the Lock” turns on trivial incident—the cutting of a lock of hair from
a lady’s head. The theme of the poem is suggested in invocation, as in an epic poem, but the
theme is ridiculously trivial, in comparison with the grand theme of an epic. The action opens in
a mock-heroic manner with the awakening of Belinda, the heroine of the poem. Belinda is the
very goddess of beauty and the luster of her eyes surpasses that of the sun who peeped
timorously through the white curtains in Belinda’s room.
4. The Structure of the Poem:
The whole structure in “The Rape of the lock” is cast in the epic mould, but it could not be a
serious epic because the incident is trivial—so we have the mock-heroic poem. The poem is
divided into cantos like an epic poem, and there are ironical parallels to the main incident of
the epic. The poem begins with an invocation like in epics.
5. Function of Machinery:
The epic always uses the supernatural element. In “The Iliad” there are gods and goddesses; in
“The Rape of the lock”, there are the sylphs and gnomes. These aerial spirits are small and
insignificant things, and are, therefore, exactly in keeping with the triviality of the theme. They
guard the person of the heroine and when there is fight between the followers of Belinda and
those of the Baron, they take part in fight, like godsends goddesses in the Trojan War
6. Episode in the Mock-epic:
An epic poem must contain episodes also. In keeping with this practice Pope has introduced the
episodes of the game of Omber which is described in great detail. There is also the hazardous
journey of Umbriel to the Cave of Spleen. Then there is the battle between the lords and ladies
just like the battles in epic poetry. But in true mock-heroic style this battle is fought with fans
and snuff instead of with sword sand spears. There are single combats also between Belinda
and the Baron and between Clarissa and Sir Plume.
Thus, to conclude, in “The Rape of the Lock” the poet has heightened the title, exalted the
insignificant, in order to make the little and the insignificant look more ridiculous. He employs
the mock-heroic form, not to mock the epic form, but to show the triviality of mean things by
contrasting them with great things. This is the true mock-heroic style.
How does it portray the Victorian society ?
Pope’s remarkable poem ‘The Rape of the Lock’ very faithfully mirrors at least a certain section
of English society in the eighteenth century. Pope exposes in a witty manner the follies and
absurdities of the aristocratic life of 18th century England. It captures perfectly the ethos of the
aristocratic society of London at that time. The principal targets of satire in the poem are the
fashionable and aristocratic ladies and gentlemen of the time. All the people of that time
mostly the aristocratic class were enjoying visiting parks and clubs, they were engaged in
dancing, drinking, flirting, doing false love with one and another, and were engaged in so many
other vices and follies:
In courtly balls, and midnight masquerades,
Safe from the treacherous friend, the daring spark,
When kind occasions prompt their warm desires,
When music softens, and when dancing fires?
Pope reflects the life of the fashionable aristocratic society of his time completely through his
poem. The artificial tone of the age, the frivolous aspect of feminist nowhere more exquisitely
pictures than in this poem. People of that age got themselves preoccupied with trivialities,
Gossips, sex-intrigues, and courting ladies. It is the epic of trifling; a page torn from the petty,
pleasure-seeking life of fashionable beauty.
Alexander Pope primarily uses the upper-class English society for the basis of his poem; they
are mocked to point out their flaws because Pope believes they do not care about serious
matters, have narrow-minded ideas and thoughts about the world in which they live, and do
not possess the ability to look beyond trivialities. Pope shows that people of that time were
only concerned with minor issues and the serious and big issues were forgotten and were not of
any importance.
The Rape of the Lock is a mirror to this kind of English society of which Lord Peter and Belinda
are the representative figures. Pope fashioned the characters of Belinda and the Baron as
representations of Catholic British aristocrats, Arabella Fermor and Lord Peter who possessed
an infatuation with decorum during the neoclassical period. These characters represent the
facsimile of 18th-century British personal ideals, and thus take the roles of pseudo-heroes in
The Rape of the Lock. Belinda is presented as dazzling charming like the sun, and lap-dogs were
another indispensable ingredient of their lives.
 At the very beginning of the poem, Pope throws our attention to the idleness and late-rising
aristocratic ladies of the time. It was the hour of twelve when Belinda opened her eyes. Pope
satirizes this female error at the beginning of the poem.
Now, lap-dogs give themselves the rousing shake,
And sleepless lovers, just at twelve, awake
Aristocratic ladies possess a keen interest in domestic pets. For these ladies their pets are as
important as their husbands are:
"Not louder shirks to pitying Heaven are cast
When husbands or when lapdogs breathe their last"
The vanities of those ladies, such as their love of gilded chariots and somber are also made
known to us in the very starting part of the poem. Pope makes fun of the vanities of these
ladies. These ladies are over fond of vanity. Pope says that these vanities will not even end with
the death of the woman.
“Think not, when Woman's transient Breath is fled,
That all her Vanities at once are dead."
Thus, we may conclude that the poem is a delicate humorous, and witty satire on the upper-
class society of the eighteenth century. Pope attempts to expose the follies and absurdities of
the aristocratic English society with light ridicule in a witty manner. Pope points out the idle life
of pleasure-seeking young men and women of his age. Pope introduces us to a world of frivolity
and fashion and by showing these flaws; he wants to correct these things. In his, work Pope has
employed all the recognized weapons of satire in an effective way to fix the moral flaws of his
age. This was the kind of life led by the fashionable people of the aristocratic classes in the
period of Pope. Pope has described his age in gorgeous colors on one hand and with scathing
satire on the other hand. The poem indicates the vanity and futility of its period. There is
nothing deep or serious in the lives and activities of the fashionable people of upper classes, all
is vanity and emptiness and this Pope has revealed with art and brilliance. The Rape of the Lock
reflects the artificial age of the eighteenth century with all its outward splendor and inward
emptiness. So, Pope’s poem “The Rape of the Lock” is rightly considered the true genius of his
satirical work.