Page 244 - DENG405_BRITISH_POETRY

Unit 24: Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock

24.4 Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock; As a Social Satire N as a Notes
Mock Epic

24.4.1 The Rape of the Lock–Social Satire

As Shakespeare is the poet of man, Pope is a poet of society. “The Rape of the Lock” is a social
document because it mirrors contemporary society and contains a social satire, too. Pope paints
about England in 18th century. The whole panorama of “The Rape of the Lock” revolves around the
false standard of 18th century. Pope satirizes the young girls and boys, aristocratic women and
men, their free time activities, nature of husbands and wives, the professional judges and politicians
of the day.
Pope clearly depicts the absurdities and the frivolities of the fashionable circle of the 18th century
England. The world of Belinda – the world of fashion is a trivial world. The whole life of Belinda is
confined to sleeping, make-up, enjoyment and alluring the lords. There are no transcendental
elements in her life. This life is marked by ill-nature, affection, mischievousness, coquetry, yielding
and submissive nature, fierce and unruly nature, infidelity, cheapness, meanness, trivialities and
frivolities etc. Belinda represents all the fashion struck women, busy in such stupidities.
The gallants of the time have not been spared by Pope. Baron not only represents Peter but also
typifies the aristocratic gallants of the age.

Pope satirizes man’s nature that is always weak at beauty. Men sacrifice everything
at the altar of beauty and even the most intelligent man behaves foolishly when
he fall a victim to beauty.

In order to make his satire sharper and all the more effective, Pope introduces the aerial machinery,
which facilitates the satire. Through this weapon, the poet throws in contrast the weaknesses of the
fashionable women of that age. He satirizes women who are interested in fashionable life and its
pursuits and who go on exercising their evil influence even after their death. For the sake of worldly
grandeur, they can bid farewell even to their chastity and honour. He satirizes women of fiery,
coquettish mischievous and yielding nature and gives them different names. It also provides the
poet with an opportunity to satirize the class consciousness of women.
All the women and beaus gather at the place where they exchange talks on trivial things e.g. visits,
balls, films, motions, looks, eyes, etc. and “at every word, a reputation dies”.
“A beau and witling perished in the throng,
One died in metaphor, and one in song.”
Man’s favourite activity is to take suffered women to play with fan. There is singing, dancing,
laughing, ogling, etc. and nothing else. Women are busy alluring the dukes and lords. The poet
reflects the hollowness of men in the character of Sir Plume who is coward, foolish and senseless,
lacking courage. Women are on the whole irresolute and they have made toyshops of their hearts.
They have even illicit relations with the beaus. Women are meant only for the entertainment of
men, who play toy with them.
Pope also satirizes of the husbands and wives of the day. Husbands always suspect their wives.
They think that their wives have been merry making with their lovers.
Wives are also not virtuous at all. They love their lap-dogs more than their husbands. And the
death of husbands is not more shocking than the death of a lap dog or the breakage of a china
vessel.

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