5d3aarape of the Lock

8/9/2019 5d3aarape of the Lock

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MOCK EPIC

Studying Pope's Rape of the lock a s a mock

epic


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mock-epic, also calledmock-heroic, form of satire thatadapts the elevated heroic style ofthe classical epic poem to a trivialsubject

The tradition, in classical timeswith the burlesque of Homer,the Battle of the Frogs and the

Mice

The outstanding English mock-

epic is Alexander Pope’s brillianttour de forceThe Rape of the Lock (1712–14), which concerns asociety beau’s theft of a lock ofhair from a society belle; Popetreated the incident as if it were

comparable to events that sparkedthe Trojan War.


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RAPE OF THE LOCK AS A MOCK

EPIC

Pope has made the mockery of the great heroicstyle and subject. The theme of ‘The Rape of the

lock’ is cutting the lock of Belinda’s hair.

The Hero of ‘The Rape of The lock’

also indicates mock heroic effects. In the trueepic great deeds of great hero are seem for the

betterment of society.

In this mock epic the trivial incidents are done by

trivial man who cuts the lock of Belinda of whichhe considers a great and adventurous deed


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Use of machinery

and supernatural cha

racters. In pure

epic the

supernatural beingsare Gods, Goddesses

and Angels but in the

mock heroic ‘The Rape

of the lock’ thesupernatural characte

rs are sylphs and

gnomes and nymphs.


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It has divided into cantos. Like true epic it also

has beginning, middle, and end, according to

Aristotle’s concept of dramatic element in epic

poetry.

The style of epic is sublime and dignified. The

loftiness and sublimity is the soul of classical

epic.

Triviality is not allowed in true epic. But in ‘Rape

of the lock’ is common


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EPIC CONVENTIONS IN ‘ROL’

: In ancient Greece and Rome,poets had always requested “themuse” to fire them with creativegenius when they began longnarrative poems, or epics, aboutgodlike heroes and villains. InGreek mythology, there were

nine muses, all sisters, whowere believed to inspire poets,historians, flutists, dancers,singers, astronomers,philosophers, and otherthinkers and artists

In "The Rape of the Lock," Pope

does not invoke a goddess;instead, he invokes his friend,John Caryll (spelledCARYL inthe poem), who had asked Popeto write a literary work focusingon an event (the snipping of alock of hair)


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DIVISION OF THE POEM INTO

BOOKS OR CANTOS

traditional epic is long, requiring several days

several days of reading. Dante's Divine Comedy,

for example, contains 34 cantos.

Pope, of course, presents only five cantos

containing a total of fewer than 600 lines. Such

miniaturizing helps Pope demonstrate the

smallness or pettiness of the behavior exhibited

by the main characters in the poem.


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DESCRIPTIONS OF SOLDIERS

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

InThe Iliad, Homer

describes in

considerable detail the

armor and weaponry

of the great AchillesInThe Rape of the

Lock, Pope describes

Belinda preparing

herself with combsand pins–with Puffs,

Powders, Patches.


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While Homer

describes the exploits

of his heroes during

the Trojan War, Pope

describes the"exploits" of Belinda

and the Baron during

a card game called

Ombre, which involvesthree players and a

deck of 40 cards.


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ACCOUNT OF A GREAT SEA VOYAGE

InThe Odyssey, Odysseus (also known as

Ulysses) travels the seas between Troy and

Greece, encountering many perils. InThe Aeneid,

Aeneas travels the seas between Troy and Rome,

also encountering perils. InThe Rape of the Lock,Belinda travels up the Thames in a boat.


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PARTICIPATION OF DEITIES OR

SPIRITS IN THE ACTION

InThe Rape of the

Lock--as inThe Iliad,

The Odyssey, The

Aeneid, The Divine

Comedy, and Paradise Lost--supernatural

beings take part in

the action.

The supernaturalbeings are gnomes

and nymphs.


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5d3aarape of the Lock