1. The Rape of the Lock
by Alexander Pope

2. •Epic: The Odyssey
Hero = Odysseus
Heroic Quest = ten year
journey home to Ithaca
following the fall
of Troy during the
Trojan War
God/Goddess = Athena,
Greek goddess of
wisdom; protects and
advises Odysseus
throughout his journey

3. •The Mock Epic (High Burlesque)
Makes fun of the classical epic by making a
silly/trivial issue appear to be epic.
- battles
- grandiose speeches
- god/goddess

4. •The Rape of the Lock
Based on a true event  Lord Petre, a wealthy baron,
cut a lock of hair from the head of the beautiful
Arabella Fermor
A great feud developed between the two families
The Rape of the Lock mocks the original trivial
incident to show how ridiculous the
situation/reactions were
-A baron admires Belinda’s hair and is
determined to cut two locks from her head to keep
0
Critiques the social manners and human behavior of
the time (society = vain, idle)

5. •The Rape of the Lock : p. 540
Close by those Meads forever crowned with Flowers,
Where Thames with Pride surveys his rising Towers,
There stands a Structure of Majestic Frame,
Which from the neighboring Hampton takes its Name.
Her Britain's Statesmen oft the Fall foredoom
Of foreign Tyrants, and of Nymphs at home;
Here Thou, great Anna! whom three Realms obey,
Dost sometimes counsel take - and sometimes tea.
• Hampton Court is the royal residence on the river Thames, upstream
from London.
• Anna = Queen Anne (1665-1714), who ruled England, Ireland, and
Scotland.

6. •The Rape of the Lock : p. 540-542
Hither the Heroes and the Nymphs resort,
To taste awhile the Pleasures of a Court;
In various Talk th' instructive Hours they past,
Who gave a Ball, or paid the Visit last:
One speaks the Glory of the British Queen,
And one describes a charming Indian Screen;
A third interprets Motions, Looks, and Eyes;
At every Word a Reputation dies.
Snuff, or the Fan, supply each Pause of Chat,
With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.
• Snuff . . .fan: At the time, gentlemen commonly took snuff (ground or pulverized
tobacco, which is generally inhaled or "snuffed" through the nose), and ladies usually
carried a fan.

7. •The Rape of the Lock : p. 543
…Belinda now, whom Thirst of Fame invites,
Burns to encounter two adventurous Knights,
At Omber singly to decide their Doom;
And swells her Breast with Conquests yet to come.
Straight the three Bands prepare in Arms to join,
Each Band the number of the Sacred Nine.
Soon as she spreads her Hand, the Aerial Guard
Descend, and sit on each important Card:
First Ariel perched upon a Matadore,
Then each, according to the Rank they bore;
For Sylphs, yet mindful of their ancient Race,
Are, as when women, wondrous fond of Place.
Omber: popular card game
Sacred nine: an allusion or reference to the nine Muses of Greek mythology (music, art, history, . . .)
Matadore: a powerful card that could take a trick

8. …But when to Mischief Mortals bend their Will,
How soon they find fit Instruments of Ill!
Just then, Clarissa drew with tempting Grace
A two-edged Weapon from her shining Case;
So Ladies in Romance assist their Knight,
Present the Spear, and arm him for the Fight.
He takes the Gift with reverence, and extends
The little Engine on his Fingers' Ends;
This just behind Belinda's Neck he spread
As o'er the fragrant Steams she bends her Head:
_______________________
p. 545, 546
Even then, before the fatal engine closed,
A wretched sylph too fondly interposed;
Engine: instrument
Fate urged the Shears, and cut the sylph in twain, Sylph: a spirit,
(But airy substance soon unites again). particularly one
The meeting points the sacred hair dissever protecting a woman
From the fair head, forever, and forever!

9. Modern Day Mock Epic:
Brett Favre
(credit to 2010 OHS English 12)

10. Modern Day Mock Epic:
Brett Favre Retires Again and Again
As the knight Brett Favre retires from the war,
We ask: Will he lose his fame forever more?
Every season, he’s victorious.
Yet to his slaves a god, so glorious.
That crowd on their feet, the battle is set,
Forty-eight sweet minutes of cold, hard sweat.
But the field grows green, not the age-old red,
When blood ran free from Favre’s men’s heads.
Now his helmet’s quite rusty while he dips
It in the sea, from his yacht summer trips.

11. Brett, the brainy warrior, thinks he’s so slick,
He likes to pull the old retiring trick.
During hot days of playing with the gods,
Reaching for the suntan lotion for bods
Of goddesses in not very much dress,
He finds Lady Gaga or Houston bless
His tired eyes, his hands worn out from passes
That no demon of darkness nor bad lasses
Could intercept. But he longs for old days,
And so contrives to fight again, and lays
His battle plans with an exploding ball:
From heaven, he will descend in the fall.

12. Year after year, it is always the same:
Brett unretires, but now he’s old and lame:
Eighty years old, he charges down the field,
In chariot of fire, he drives, does not yield,
Dodging armored men of the opposing team.
Look! The sword of Apollo yet does gleam
Upon his visor: He will not give up!
Victory cry: Super Bowl Three Thousand Cup!

13. Celebrity-inspired Mock Epic
• Step One: Select a celebrity & a trivial/silly incident.
• Step Two: Write your mock epic.
Make sure it does the following:
• Treats the celebrity’s situation like an epic or major battle
• Uses references to gods, goddesses, warriors, various
supernatural beings, monsters, etc.
• Exaggerates your celebrity’s situation, making it seem
much more important than it is
• 12 lines (every 2 lines rhyme)
• Approx. 10 syllables per line