Written by Alexander Pope in the 18th century, The Rape of the Lock is a narrative poem renowned for its satirical depiction of traditionally epic conventions and characters in addressing the frivolous reality of vanity. Although the inspirations that lead to the creation of the poem are highly debated, with some speculating that the poem was written as a commentary on a real-life event involving a family feud caused by the cutting of a woman’s hair, the interpretations regarding the narrative as a social commentary are highly convincing. From the trivial nature of the central conflict within the poem to the roles that the side characters and antagonist play in both harming and assisting the main character’s desire for maintaining a face of poise, elegance, and perfection; it is clear that Pope sees the prioritization of appearance as less than noble and particularly unnecessary. Throughout the narrative, Pope utilizes mock-epic characteristics in highlighting society’s frivolous nature in addition to the utilization of a caricaturized epic hero and whimsical features such as sylphs and other mythical creatures in order to highlight the folly of self-obsession and vanity.
In the opening of the poem, Pope’s main character, Belinda, is quickly presented as the poem’s lavish and extravagant heroin who is not only rich in beauty and material assets, but also guarded by the powers of her faithful sylph, Ariel, and various other spirits and supernatural creatures sent to protect her honor and ‘chastity’. Despite this extravagant introduction to his main character, however, it is quickly made clear that Belinda does not have any other redeeming qualities beyond her physical beauty and wealth; she does not meet any of the expectations or requirements of a traditional ‘epic hero’, nor is her character presented as particularly intelligent, powerful, or imbued with an unrelenting desire for peace or justice. Her beauty is continuously referenced and numerous references to epic conventions are made, and consequently satirized, in the detailing of even the most trivial events such as Belinda simply looking in the mirror; for example, following the “dreadful event” alluded to in her dream by her faithful sylph, Ariel, she awoke and began dressing, an ordeal which is highly dramatized and described in lines 139-144 of Canto I:
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Now awful Beauty puts on all its Arms;
The Fair each moment rises in her Charms,
Repairs her Smiles, awakens ev’ry Grace,
And calls forth all the Wonders of her Face;
Sees by Degrees a purer Blush arises,
And keener Lightning quicken in her Eyes.
Throughout this description, Pope paints an image of Belinda as a goddess preparing herself for treacherous battles, rather than simply putting on a gown and makeup in preparation for her day, similar to the way in which a traditional hero would be described. This serves to comment on the dramatic and highly frivolous nature of beauty and vanity; it is clear that she is not putting on protective armor or shields, nor is there any meaningful ferocity (or ‘lightning’) in her eyes as she stares at herself while she and her guardian sylphs revel in her beauty. As described by Lucinda Janson in her literary critique, “the comparison of a warrior’s shield to a woman’s petticoat connotes the inconsequentiality of Belinda’s world” (93). Additionally, in lines 123-124 of Canto I, Pope notes that, beyond admiring her own features, she ‘adores’ the cosmetic products that allow her to enhance her beauty and compares the powers of her products to that of mythical powers. In its entirety, this scene is not only present to describe Belinda’s seemingly ethereal beauty but to depict and mock her vanity and desire for adoration.
Furthermore, the Sylphs themselves are used as tools to not only feed into but emphasize Belinda’s vanity. As explained by Pope, sylphs are spiritual creatures that are manifested from the deaths of very attractive women; after these women die, their essence becomes intertwined with the elements of the air, and they exist once again in the form of sylphs. These creatures may be used to represent the omniscient Gods and Goddesses traditionally present in ancient epics, whose roles are that of guardians, watchers, judgers, and overseers of truth and justice- however, the roles of the sylphs throughout the poem are much more superficial. From the very beginning of the poem, the sylphs are introduced as Belinda’s loyal guardians, but not as guardians of her life, nor her mental health and well-being, but as guardians of her material possessions, protectors of her purity, and even worshippers of her beauty. This idea is repeatedly expressed throughout various scenes in the poem, particularly in lines 111-122 of Canto II, when she is attending a party on a boat filled with other wealthy attendees, and Ariel orders the other sylphs to guard Belinda’s fan, watch, hair, and her petticoat. By this description, it is clear that the only purposes that these sylphs serve is to “participate in Belinda’s comical self-delusion” (Latimer, 698), and to simultaneously protect Belinda’s beauty and chastity from the hands of men whilst also helping her preen and flaunt her beauty in order to attract adoration and attention (including the attention of men). Through the utilization of these supernatural beings, Pope illustrates the dire importance placed on the maintenance of beauty, along with the endless pursuit of trying to attract attention while wanting to flaunt yet maintain ‘purity’, as humorous and silly at best.
As the poem progresses, Pope introduces an epic antagonist, Baron, who is initially acknowledged as merely another suitor in pursuit of Belinda; however, it soon becomes clear that he is not a romantic interest, but rather a villain in pursuit of a lock of Belinda’s hair. Seeing that Belinda is often highly preoccupied with maintaining her beauty, the cutting of Belinda’s hair would serve to trigger her ‘downfall’- another characteristic of traditional epic literature that is flouted. Following her encounter with Baron, in which he expresses his interest in her, they engage in a melodramatic chess ‘battle’ that is depicted as an intense war in which each seeks to become the heroic victor. The way in which it is described is meant to make this scene seem intense and full of action, similar to that of real combat, but it is truly nothing more than a, comparatively, underwhelming game of chess and setting for flirtation between Baron and Belinda, and a venue for Belinda to further display her beauty. The subsequent cutting of a lock of her hair (highly implied to be a metaphoric representation of her loss of purity and chastity), following the end of their chess game, is followed by horrifying screams and ‘shrieks to pitying heaven’ in lines 156-157 of Canto III and is implied to be worse than the death of men and animals and the falling of empires in the subsequent lines (158-159). Through this description, Pope further comments on the reality of vanity, and how those who place far too much importance and self-identity in their appearance alone can be easily threatened and figuratively torn down by even the smallest of things; in this case, a small cut to a lock of hair. It is speculated that within this scene, Baron is also a figure of vanity and self-conceit, as he triumphs in the idea that he had taken a lock of her hair (or metaphorically, her purity), and attributes it to ‘fate’; he seems rather confident in the idea that destiny is in his favor, a trait that appears to exemplify the opposite side of female self-obsession: male conceit and over-confidence. Although the true intentions behind the inclusion and dramatization of Baron’s character are highly speculated, it may be the case that perhaps Pope had carefully constructed Baron as a representation of “male narcissism” (Crehan, 53), which would pose Pope’s narrative as not only one that comments on female vanity but male vanity as well.
In the concluding scene of the poem, a self-pitying Belinda seeks revenge (or perhaps, a ‘catharsis’ in regards to epic elements) through the employment of Sir Plume in order to rid herself of her self-pity and any further threats to her appearance and beauty, as well as gaining back her dignity and honor (which appears to be mostly rooted in her beauty and ‘purity’). This battle is also highly satirized since it is presented as another violent war full of pain and bloodlust when it is actually much more of a verbal argument than it is a physical battle. The amplitude of the entire event, however, illustrates the extent that Belinda would go to in order to avenge any threats to her appearance, and the lengths she would take when she feels as if her beauty has been disrespected. This idea, however, does not only apply to Belinda, because the other involved characters display the same vigor and desire to ‘fight’; as described by Steward Crehan in his analysis, the main characters in Pope’s narrative all seem to embody the idea that “mighty contests rise not from human passions, but from ‘trivial things’” (47). Although the scene results in Belinda’s ‘victory’, the speech given by Clarissa (a character that aided in Baron’s scheme to cut Belinda’s hair) is much more impactful and memorable. In her speech, the one piece of dialogue and text that appears to be completely truthful and non-satirical, she essentially summarizes Pope’s main claim that society places too much stress on female beauty, especially when considering that beauty is not permanent and eventually “decays” (Canto IV, line 5) when this stress should be placed on less superficial aspects instead, such as a woman’s intelligence, humor, or merit. This speech, however, is completely ignored, and proves Pope’s point- society is preoccupied with vanity.
Throughout the poem, The Rape of the Lock, Pope uses various caricaturized characters, mock-epic elements in representing menial things as grandiose (fitting the character’s perceptions of menial things as grandiose), and trivialized roles of supernatural beings in order to comment on the reality of vanity and how it is able to completely consume those who are too dedicated to their appearance. Although audiences are typically able to understand this deeper meaning, most interpretations focus solely on the social commentary on female vanity; however, he does not solely focus on women, despite placing a large emphasis on female vanity. Pope also appears to touch on the folly of male vanity, which allows the story to be reframed as one that comments on the narcissism of society as a whole, rather than just females as individuals. In conclusion, The Rape of the Lock is a narrative poem containing valuable social commentary and one that certainly deserves the acclaim it has received.
References
- Crehan, Stewart. “‘The Rape of the Lock’ and the Economy of ‘Trivial Things.’” Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 31, no. 1, 1997, pp. 45–68. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30053644.
- Johnson, Lucinda. “The Rape of the Lock.” Merici, vol. 2, 2016, pp. 91-98. The Australian National University. Print.
- Lattimer, Bonnie. “Alchemies of Satire: A History of the Sylphs in The Rape of the Lock.” The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 57, no. 232, 2006, pp. 684-700. Oxford University Press. www.jstor.org/stable/4501519
- Pope, Alexander, and Aubrey Beardsley. The Rape of the Lock. London: Vintage Classic, 2007. Print.
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