Comment on 18th Century Contemporary Society Based on "The Rape of the Look"

"The Rape of the Lock" gives a complete and graphic picture of the 18th century. The poem is concerned with the contemporary society and presents a charming portrait of its features. Here Pope compared 18th-century aristocratic society with the "Rape of the Lock" where Lord Petre and Belinda are the representative figures of the society.

Belinda in the poem is a representative of the aristocratic ladies. She is the symbol of follies and frivolities of the ladies of the age. She sleeps till noon. Her lap- dog licks her face and awakes her. Generally, She likes the other aristocratic ladies of the 18th century is frustrated and yearns for sexual pleasure; keeps awake till late at night and with lap dog in the arms and sleeps till noon in the day.

The ladies of the time practiced coquetry(flirting). when Belinda sets out by boat on the river Thames for Hampton court palace, " every eye was fixed on her alone". She does not bestow any special favor on anybody but looks equally on all with a smiling face. Offers are often made to her, but she rejects them. she does not want to talk to those who make advances to her, but she does not express her unwillingness in an offensive manner. It is the proper technique of a coquette that she very often rejects her admirer but does not offend them.

The ladies of the 18th century in London has less importance to the important things. The death of husbands affected them only as much as their lap-dog! Or breaking of China jars. They considered the honor to be equal to nothing. The loss of chastity was no more serious than staining of brocades.

Whereas, men of the society were chiefly concerned with carrying on sexual adventures with fashion- frenzy coquettish ladies. Their love Letters were more sacred to them than the Bible. The adventures Baron builds an altar of love; it is built of twelve voluminous French romances and all the prizes gained did former love; and significantly, the fire at the altar is raised with the heaps of love letters that he had received.

Pope in the poem also demonstrates the picture of the judges and jury-men. In the afternoon when the sun declines in the western sky, the judges and jury begin to feel hungry. The judges pass death sentences quickly without studying the case properly. The members of the jury are in a hurry to leave the court in order to eat their dinner. They deliver a verdict of guilty ( death) against the accused without discussing the evidence given by witnesses.

Thus, in "The Rape of the Lock" Pope pictures the aristocratic life of London in his own day. It reflects the artificial age with all its outward splendor and inward emptiness. It was, says Lowell, a mirror in a drawing room, but it gave back a faithful image of society.