Although The Rape of the Lock as a work parodies the serious, elevated style of the classical epic poem, Alexander Pope uses them as patterns to be based on. There are links to themes like women as representative figures of beauty. For instance, in The Odyssey, women play a very important role, that of human beings who represent seductress.
In this classic work we find figures like Calypso who is tempting Odysseus with her destructive power of the enchantress, although he denies her; and Circe, whose charms are directed towards the same person as well. In addition, there is a very significant moment when she turned Odysseus’s men into the image of pigs. A vivid image of animals compared to men that can be kept by women as if they were pets.
Then, as we can see through Alexander Pope’s poem, the element that guides Belinda’s behaviour is the defence of her honour. In fact, when the images of cosmetics pervade the poem, the author is not just suggesting war but a fight for Belinda’s honour. In addition, Belinda’s beauty and her “tempting” locks are represented as weapon themselves because she can bring mankind to ruin with desire.
And so, as a result, what we have is two apparently different works which can be linked one to each other. They both use female beauty and enchants as a useful tool for them in order to gain a certain amount of power through their sexual charms.
really nice!! i like your references to Calypso and Circe :)
ResponderEliminarThanks!!
ResponderEliminargreat post sara!! And the english you have used is very fluent and easy to read!! congrats!!! ;)
ResponderEliminarThanks a lot!!! :)
ResponderEliminarCOMMENT:
ResponderEliminarWhat you seem to be suggesting is that a common element in these two poems is that women have to recourse to their physical charms to achieve their goals. I would like to add to this that, as it can be notice in Pope's poem, not only good looks but wit also decide how the story might end. Belinda is a much more complex character than the Baron and so are the rest of female characters featuring in the poem. See below for bibliographical references:
Shih, Yao-hsi. "Defining Women: Masculine Violence In Defoe, Pope, And Swift." Wenshan Review Of Literature And Culture 3.1 (2009): 79-101. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
Payne, Deborah C. "Pope And The War Against Coquettes: Or, Feminism And The Rape Of The Lock Reconsidered-Yet Again." The Eighteenth Century: Theory And Interpretation 32.1 (1991): 3-24. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
Staffel, Peter. "Recovering Thalestris: Intragender Conflict In The Rape Of The Lock." Pope, Swift, and Women Writers. 86-104. Newark; London: U of Delaware P; Associated UP, 1996. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
Drodge, Susan. "The Sexual Politics Of The Eye: Women In Pope's Poetry." Lumen, XIII. 79-85. Edmonton: Academic, 1994. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
Trimble, John. "Clarissa's Role In The Rape Of The Lock." Texas Studies In Literature And Language: A Journal Of The Humanities 15.(1974): 673-691. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
Staffel, Peter. "Recovering Thalestris: The Benefits Of Amazonian Ferocity." The Bulletin Of The West Virginia Association Of College English Teachers 15.(1993): 1-8. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
CORRECTION:
Alexander Pope uses them as patterns to be based on: uses it (epic poetry?) as a base from which to build or construct his poem (only a suggestion!!)
For instance, in The Odyssey, women play a very important role, that of human beings who represent seductress / the power of seduction/ the archetype of the seductress.
we find figures like Calypso who is tempting Odysseus with her destructive power of the enchantress, although he denies her; he refuses her
In addition, there is a very significant moment when she turned Odysseus’s men into the image of pigs: turns
enchants: enchantment
GRADE: 4,5