Use of the Mock-epic Style in The Rape of the Lock Essay

Use of the Mock-epic Style in The Rape of the Lock The triumph of the Barons rape is in exactly the same high language as it would be if he were Hector. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope uses the mock-epic style to satirise the seriousness with which a trivial misdemeanour (the theft of a few strands of hair) and the ways of gender polarised society can be blown beyond all sense of proportion. Thus the male mentality, through the Baron, is portrayed as lacking depth or personality beyond that required to achieve its ends; men objectify and devise strategems (4,120) to conquer their female obsessions; they are victor[s] (4,162) who self-importantly congratulate themselves as meriting wreaths of triumph (4,161) when they†¦show more content†¦There is a comparison of the resilience of Belindas hair (in resisting the steel of the scissors) to the imperial towers of Troy (4,174), and also, the line what time would spare suggests that the hair possesses an unnatural vitality. Further related to this is Clarissas aiding of the Baron. As in the epic mould, hers is a crime of passion: Scylla acted for love of Minos, Clarissa acts, as an older woman and one of the ladies of romance (rather than looks?), for jealousy of Belinda — and the epic imagery employed, being out of place, serves to make Popes point all the more vividly. His use of satire here extends to women in society and their winning of a man at any cost, particularly to the detriment of their fellow women. When Pope says that Clarissa is the one to present the spear (4,130), he does not say that the Baron is armed for his fight, but that Clarissas purpose is to arm him for the fight (4,130 — my italics), which suggests that she has as much of a stake in bringing down Belinda as does he. When the Baron plots, Popes reference to Greek classic (in which stolen hair saw the thief polymorphed into an animal) is used both as a personal commentary and to disguise that commentary — to state that he disapprovesShow MoreRelatedEssay The Mock-Epic and The Rape Of The Lock1067 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mock-Epic and The Rape Of The Lock The argument can be made that the purpose of the Rape of the Lock is to attack the vanity of women. Pope states this directly in his dedication to Arabella – â€Å"to laugh at their sex’s little unguarded Follies,† and the author’s use of the mock-epic seems to reinforce this purpose through its comparison of the epic odyssey to trivial events. In this comparison there can also be found a description of the relationship between the sexes not as a mutualRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1253 Words   |  6 Pagesaudience know his goals and how important his writing is through epic metaphors and masterful language. 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