Thinking Activity:"The Rape of the Lock"

The Rape of the Lock

After completing the unit "The Rape of the Lock" our prof. Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am gave us task as our thinking activity. This blog is response for that. 

Task:- Write a brief analysis of Belinda's character keeping in mind the contemporary time rather than the 18th Century.

About the poem "The Rape of the Lock

The Rape of the Lock, mock-epic poem in heroic couplets by Alexander Pope. The first version, published in 1712, consisted of two cantos; the final version, published in 1714, was expanded to five cantos.It was based on an actual event recounted to the poet by Pope's friend, John Caryll. Arabella Fermor and her suitor, Lord Petre.

Characters Analysis: Belinda

Alexander Pope has designed The Rape of the Lock as the representative works depicting Belinda as the model of the common fashionable ladies of his time. Belinda is the chief attraction and she becomes the heroine of it. She is the only leading character. Yet her screams and the flashes of lightening from her eyes are compared to those of an epic hero.

There are several aspects of the personality of Belinda as portrayed by Pope in The Rape of the Lock. At the very outset of the poem, we see her as an idle and late-rising aristocratic lady who possesses keen interest in domestic pets.

She is a worshiper of beauty who prays to the goddess of beauty and offers all the items of cosmetics before her. She is a typical presentation of women’s excessive attention to self decoration and embellishment. She gathers all the fashionable items from all over the world-Indian glowing gems, Arabian perfumes, files of pins, puffs, powders, patches etc. In a satirical passage, Pope describes Belinda in a Confucius mood before her dressing table in the po by using line such as

"Here files of pains extend their shining rows,

     Puffs, powders, patches, bibles,      billet-doux."

Here, Pope seeks to throw light upon the fickle minded fashionable ladies of the 18th century England depicting Belinda as the representative character.

If we talk about the Belinda of contemporary time than we can say that the character of Belinda in present time will be totally different from the 18th century.Because if this incident(cutting down the lock of hair)take place with Belida in contemporary time the reaction of Belinda is totally different.Perhaps She will call the police to arrest Baron and give punishment for that. today's Belinda will be full of confidence.

 Watch this video to know more about Belinda's character.