The Rape of the LockThe Rape of the Lock

Part IPart I

“An Essay on Man” page 524 Interpretation

• Man should NOT study– God

• Man should study– Man

• What is man struggling with? • Born but to die means? • Reasoning but to err? Does this support rationis capax? • How can one be Lord and prey? • What connection can you make to the idea that man is

“The glory, jest, and riddle of the world?• Do you agree with Pope’s ideas?

“An Essay on Man” page 524 Antithesis

– Skeptic’s side; stoic’s pride– Act; rest– Born; die– Reasoning; err– Abused; disabuse– Half to rise; half to fall– Lord of all things; prey to all– Truth; error

Pope’s Satire

• Rape of the Lock

• Mock epic based on true events

• Petre family and the Fermor family dispute over a lock of hair is spun into a fantastical adventure tale

Mock Epic

• A Long, humorous narrative poem that treats a trivial subject in the grand style of a true epic like Homer’s Iliad or Milton’s Paradise Lost.

• For example, in The Rape of the Lock, Pope applies to the theft of a lady’s lock of hair such epic elements as these:– Boasting speeches of heroes and heroines– Elaborate descriptions of warriors and their weapons– Involvement of gods and goddesses in the action– Epic similes, or elaborate comparisons in the style of Homer that

sometimes use the words like, as, or so• Antithesis—placing side by side, and in similar

grammatical structures, strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences, or ideas.

Pope’s Form

• Heroic Couplet: – 2 rhymed lines of iambic pentameter– “closed” if they represent a complete sentence.

• Epic elements– Boasting speeches of heroes and heroines– Elaborate descriptions of warriors and their

weapons– Involvement of gods and goddesses in the action– Epic similes, or elaborate comparisons in the style

of Homer that sometimes use the words like, as, or so

Choose one of the following card Choose one of the following card games and…games and…

• Describe the rules and how you play the game—

• if you have never played any of these, then describe a card game you do know how to play.

– War– Hearts– Spades– Spit– ERS– Rummy– Gin Rummy– Shanghai

Now, revisit your description and Now, revisit your description and personify personify the cards as if they are the cards as if they are

really battling it out really battling it out

Which description is more entertaining?

Which would you most likely use in real life?

Now Remember…

– Boasting speeches of heroes and heroines– Elaborate descriptions of warriors and their

weapons– Involvement of gods and goddesses in the action– Epic similes, or elaborate comparisons in the style

of Homer that sometimes use the words like, as, or so

• Antithesis—placing side by side, and in similar grammatical structures, strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences, or ideas.

SettingSetting• London; Early 1700's

• ONE DAY: start as NOON – Canto I: Belinda’s residence– Canto II: Belinda on a boat traveling up the Thames– Canto III-V: Hampton Court—a former residence of

King Henry VIII (brief scene in Canto IV in the cave of the Queen of Spleen)

Characters • Belinda Beautiful young lady with wondrous hair, two locks of

which hang gracefully in curls.  • The Baron Young admirer of Belinda who plots to cut off one of

her locks. • Ariel Belinda's guardian sylph (supernatural creature). • Clarissa Young lady who gives the Baron scissors. • Umbriel Sprite who enters the cave of the Queen of Spleen to

seek help for Belinda.  • Queen of Spleen Underworld goddess who gives Umbriel gifts

for Belinda. • Thalestris Friend of Belinda. Thalestris urges Sir Plume to defend

Belinda's honor. • Sir Plume Beau of Thalestris. He scolds the Baron.

Canto I

What dire offence from am'rous causes springs,

What mighty contests rise from trivial things,

I sing—This verse to Caryl, Muse! is due:

This, ev'n Belinda may vouchsafe to view:

Slight is the subject, but not so the praise,

If she inspire, and he approve my lays.

John Caryl: Pope’s friend who encouraged him to write Rape of the Lock

Satire: He doesn’t in

voke a goddess

he invokes a friend as th

e muse—a

male friend no less—

haha!

Four kings in majestry revered

Four fair queens whose hands sustain a flower

Four knaves in garbs succinct

Who are the main characters?

• Belinda • Baron

What is the author’s purpose?

• To entertain?

• To ridicule?

• To record an event?

• To preach?

• To scold?

• To condemn?

• To criticize?

Rape of the Lock

• Begins with…

• Continues with…

• And I think it will end with…

How can the following scenario be How can the following scenario be turned into a turned into a mock epicmock epic? ?

An eight year old child misses the bus.An eight year old child misses the bus.

How can the following scenario be How can the following scenario be turned into a turned into a mock epicmock epic? ?

A 17 year old girl needs to find a prom A 17 year old girl needs to find a prom dress. dress.

How can the following scenario be How can the following scenario be turned into a turned into a mock epicmock epic? ?

A man has run out of milk for his morning A man has run out of milk for his morning cereal cereal

Epic ElementsEpic Convention Lines in The Rape

of the LockTrivial Activity Described

invocation of a muse

elevated language

epic similes

“brave” hero

perilous journey

existence of the Underworld

battle/war

appeals to or involvement of gods

description of warriors

Classical Allusions?

FORMAT: 25 points total

The epic is handwritten NEATLY or typed in MLA format 0 1 2 3 4 5

The glaring errors in the epic 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic includes a first-page header and subsequent page-number headings.

0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic has an adequate title, centered on the first page. 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic contains line numbers every five lines to guide the reader. 0 1 2 3 4 5

STYLE, GRAMMAR, and MECHANICS: 35 points total

The epic has a complete story line 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic has some character development 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic uses elevated language and rhyming couplets 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic uses at least 1 classical allusion 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic demonstrates adequate sentence variety, avoiding run-ons or fragments.

0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic has at least 20 lines 0 1 2 3 4 5

The epic has an appropriate tone and is about something insignificant 0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL

Who are YOUR main characters?Describe them in Round 1

What is YOUR purpose?

• To entertain and to ridicule!

TENSIONWrite your tension in round 2

• A prom date shows up late; a bowling enthusiast forgets his favorite bowling shoes; a traveling rodeo clown loses his job to robotic rodeo clowns; a dog tries to bite its tail; the search for an every day object; etc. BE CREATIVE! BE UNIQUE!

Epic ElementsRound 3—outline your plot

Epic Convention What you want to do

Trivial Activity Described

invocation of a muse Who is your muse?

elevated language Rhyming Couplets!

epic similes Compare your search to something GRAND

“brave” hero Your awesome characters! How are they “heroic”?

perilous journey What are they doing? The tension!

existence of the Underworld

If you want

battle/war The tension!

appeals to or involvement of gods

Classical allusions!

description of warriors The tension!