Illustrating how Pope ‘at once’ delights in and lashes out at a pretentious 18th century society in The Rape of the Lock.

 

Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock”, masterfully uses satire to both delight in and lash out at the pretentious society of 18th-century England. Born in 1688, Alexander Pope is considered to be one of the most prominent English poets during the Enlightenment era. First published in 1712, Pope in this mock- heroic narrative, critiques the shallowness, vanity and misplaced priorities of people of the upper class through his witty and extremely critical poetic style. In his poem, Pope effectively combines humour and irony to expose the social follies and useless exaggerations or hyperboles of his contemporary poets and writers. According to Jonathan Szwec, “Enlightenment writers Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, used several mediums of satire, several types of logic, and several targets of ridicule in order to shine a light on separate aspects of British society, providing much-needed criticism of the profuse moral corruption of a society that sometimes seemed to forget the true ideals of its age.”

The poem starts with Pope’s highly exaggerated invocation to the Muse, where he positions a stolen lock of hair, a very trivial matter, treating it as an epic event. This intended irony and initial light- hearted tone establishes Pope’s intentions to delight in the silliness of his subject matter while simultaneously criticising the society who indulges itself into such insignificant subjects. The poem's excessive descriptions of Belinda's toilette, where mundane actions are raised to such grandeur, showcases Pope's delight in satirising the excessive vanity of the upper- class. His depiction of the upper-class society's obsession with material possessions, like the diamond-encrusted snuff box, serves as a sarcastic commentary on their materialistic values and the significance they attach to such extravagant items.

Furthermore, Pope humorously portrays the social gatherings and card games as ridiculous and shallow. In Canto II, the Sylphs' activities during the game are depicted in a comical way, emphasising on the shallowness of their concerns. The description of the ‘disastrous’ consequences of cutting a card, which leads to an epic battle between the Baron and Belinda, satirises the exaggerated emotions and the sense of honour prevalent in society. Pope’s use of this mock- epic genre adds to the delight of the satire. Him presenting the characters in an exaggerated heroic- manner, like comparing both Belinda and the Baron to "Thalestris" and "Thirsty Priam" respectively, heightens the humour by juxtaposing trivial matters with grandeur. Pope both mocks and entertains the readers by subtly exposing the absurdity of their pursuits.

Pope’s delight in the follies of the society is accompanied by a hard criticism of their wrongheaded values. The central event in the poem, the "rape" of Belinda's lock of hair, serves as a metaphor for the violation of her social status and the loss of her honour. Through this incident, Pope highlights the society's obsession with appearances and their overreaction to seemingly insignificant matters. A part that is most heavily laden with sarcasm is the ending in which Pope writes,

“When those fair suns shall set, as set they must,

And all those tresses shall be laid in dust;

This lock, the Muse shall consecrate to fame,

And ‘midst the stars inscribe Belinda’s name!”

Pope also criticizes the role of women in society. Belinda is shown to be a coquette figure, who is always preoccupied with her beauty and the adoration of men. Pope exposes the objectification of women, emphasizing how they become mere accessories in the social game of the upper class. This is evident with the characters of Sir Plume and Baron, who treat Belinda’s lock of hair as a trophy that is to be won and displayed. Pope does not even leave the Catholic Church and its rituals from his satire.

In Canto III, the elaborate Sylphic rituals, presented as parodies of religious ceremonies, highlights the absurdity of society’s fixation on trivial subjects. Pope criticises the misplaced priorities of his contemporaries who give more importance to superficial subjects while neglecting the spiritual and moral values.

In conclusion, Alexander Pope, brilliantly balances between delighting in and lashing out the pretentious eighteenth-century society. Through his skilful satire, he showcases the extravagance and simultaneously, the superficiality of the upper- class people and sharply critiquing the upper- classes’ vices. By blending humour, sarcasm and criticism, Pope creates an entertaining, yet thought- provoking piece of literature that exposes irrationalities of his contemporaries and which reflects on the values and behaviour of the then English society as a whole.