The MockEpic: Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock

The Rape of the Lock is largely a parody of the epic genre, for which Pope has respect, but it contains a satirical look at aristocratic society in Pope’s own time. As you read, identify the traditional epic conventions shown in a whole new light—Pope’s choice of an insignificant subject results in an outrageous divide between the matter and the manner of expression, the elevated style used to tell the silly story.

KeyTerms

anticlimax

canto

zeugma

Reading Guide

Canto 1

  1. Pay attention to lines 1-12. What epic device is Pope imitating here?
  1. The story itself begins in line 13, when the sleeping heroine Belinda receives a visit from her guardian sylph, Ariel. Ariel speaks to Belinda in lines 27-114. What philosophy of the four elements does he explain? What is the purpose of his visit?
  1. The real “action” of this canto occurs in lines 115-148. Who are Shock and Betty? What kind of diction does Pope use?

Canto 2

  1. The bulk of this canto describes Belinda’s journey to a party. Note any significant details in lines 1-28 and 47-72.
  1. The conflict intensifies with the introduction of the Baron in line 29. How does he contribute to the rising action?
  1. Highlight the key points of Ariel’s speech to “the troops” in lines 73-136.

Canto 3

  1. This is the (anti-)climactic canto. Note how Pope creates dramatic build-up.
  1. The card game mentioned in line 27 plays out through line 104. What is the outcome? What is the narrator’s reaction?
  1. After a quick coffee break, the long-awaited moment arrives in lines 125-154. How is the Baron able to steal the lock?
  1. Note the reactions of Belinda and the Baron at the canto’s close.

Canto 4

  1. Note the description of the Cave of Spleen in lines 17-56.
  1. What does the mischievous gnome Umbriel receive in lines 79-86?
  1. Umbriel returns to find Belinda with a comforting friend, Thalestris. The Baron, meanwhile, refuses to return the lock. Examine Belinda’s lament in lines 146-176.

Canto 5

  1. Paraphrase Clarissa’s speech in lines 9-34.How do Belinda and Thalestris respond to her?
  1. This canto contains the all-out Battle of the Sexes in lines 37-104. With what does Belinda attack the Baron?
  1. How is the end of the story crafted so as to console Belinda?

Mock Epic Storyboard Activity (Classwork)

Your task is to create a modern-day mock epic of your own.Start with a simple subject: you, your friend, your teacher, etc. This is your epic “hero.” Then decide on a conflict to provide tension: a prom date shows up late, a bowling enthusiast forgets his favorite bowling shoes, etc.

Plot the trajectory of your epic using a storyboard. Start with a titlepanel; then clearly illustrate each canto, resulting in six panels total. Make sure you think about rising action, anticlimax, etc. Your hero must make a “perilous” journey at some point and experience “divine intervention” of some sort. Your story should also have a clear moral.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a caption for each panel that demonstrates how your storyline fits the description of a mock epic and provides any details that may be missing from a single snapshot image (i.e., classical allusions—see suggestions below, your moral, etc.). You may earn bonus points by writing an invocation to your “muse,” made up of 10 lines in rhymingiambic pentameter.

Please note that this is a group assignment; each member is expected to carry his or her weight.

Zeus/Jupiter/Jove: king of the gods

(Phoebus) Apollo: god of light/sun

Hermes/Mercury: messenger of the gods

Poseidon/Neptune: god of the sea

Ares/Mars: god of war

Hephaestus/Vulcan: god of fire

Dionysus/Bacchus: god of wine

Pan: god of woods and pastures

Eros/Cupid: god of love

Hades/Pluto: god of the Underworld

Athena/Minerva: goddess of wisdom

Artemis/Diana: goddess of the hunt

Aphrodite/Venus: goddess of love/beauty

Hera/Juno: queen of the gods

Demeter/Ceres: goddess of grain/crops

Medusa: Gorgon who changed people to stone

Jason: led Argonauts to search for Golden Fleece

Minotaur: half-human/half-bull in the labyrinth on Crete

Pandora: first woman, opened a box of evils

Atlas: giant who supported the earth on his shoulders

Narcissus: beautiful human, fell in love with his own image

Orpheus: greatest musician, married to Eurydice

Eurydice: wife of Orpheus, condemned to the underworld

Cyclops: monster with one eye

Midas: richest human, everything he touched turned to gold

Persephone: daughter of Demeter, goddess of spring, kidnapped by Pluto