Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock
Prompt 1: How is Alexander Pope satirizing the common manners of 18th century British society and how is “the lock” symbolic of that society’s hypocrisy?
Prompt 2: Beauty is a common theme in Rape of the Lock. What does it come to mean and represent? How is its power limited? Consider the calm reasoning quality of Clarissa compared to the hasty, destructive behavior of Belinda?