Paper 102: Literature of the Neo-classical Period
“Virtue as Performance: The Theatrics of Morality in The Rape of the Lock”
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Table of Content :
Academic Details
Assignment Details
The Following Information-numbers are counted using Quillbot
Abstract
Keywords
Research Question
Hypothesis
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the Poem
1.2 Purpose of the Study
1.3 Significance
1.4 Scope and Organisation
2. Theoretical Framework: Virtue, Performance & Social Display
2.1 Virtue in the Eighteenth Century
2.2 Performance Theory & Social Ritual
2.3 Display, Spectacle and Reputation
2.4 Application to the Poem
3. The Poem’s Form and the Theatrics of Morality
3.1 Mock-Epic Form as Satirical Device
3.2 Elevation of the Trivial: Theatrics of Virtue
3.4 Supernatural Machinery & Moral Theatre
4. Rituals of Social Display: Virtue in Action
4.1 The Toilette Scene: Performance of Femininity and Virtue
4.2 Social Games and Card Tables: Virtue as Game
4.3 The Lock as Symbol: Theatrical Object of Virtue
4.4 Vanity, Appearance and Moral Ambiguity
5. Critical Perspectives Supporting the Performance Reading
5.1 Moral Critique and Satire
5.2 Gender Performance and Virtue
5.3 Material Culture, Consumerism and Social Display
5.4 Theatricality and Mock-Heroic Writing
6. The Gendered Stage: Femininity, Masculinity, and Performed Virtue
6.1 Belinda’s Performed Virtue
6.2 The Male Gaze and Social Validation
6.3 Clarissa’s Speech and Moral Irony
7. Moral Theatre and the Politics of Appearance
7.1 Virtue as Social Currency
7.2 Spectacle and Surveillance
7.3 The Moral Double Standard
8. The Moral Irony: From Mock-Epic to Modern Morality
8.1 Mock-Epic as Moral Mirror
8.2 The Irony of Heroism
8.3 Moral Relativism and Enlightenment Skepticism
9. Legacy and Modern Resonance: Virtue as Performance Today
9.1 Continuing Relevance of Pope’s Insight
9.2 Re-evaluating Morality in Art and Society
10.Conclusion
References
Academic Details :
Name : Khushi K. Parmar
Roll Number : 11
Enrollment Number : 5108250026
Semester : 1
Batch : 2025-26
E-mail : khushiparmar3440@gmail.com
Assignment Details :
Paper Name : Literature of the Neo-classical Period
Paper No : 102
Paper code : 22393
Unit : 2 - Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock
Topic : “Virtue as Performance: The Theatrics of Morality in The Rape of the Lock”
Submitted To : Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Submitted Date : November 10, 2025
The Following Information-numbers are counted using Quillbot :
Images : 2
Words : 2542
Characters : 16642
Characters without spaces : 14121
Paragraph : 167
Sentences : 273
Reading time : 10 m 10 s
Abstract
This paper examines how in Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock virtue is less a deeply held moral quality and more a performance — a public act of appearance, ritual, and social recognition. The poem, by treating trivial social incidents with epic style, reveals how eighteenth-century aristocratic morality is theatrical: subjects display virtue (and its opposite, vanity) in social rituals, fashion, conversation, and flirtation. Through close reading of selected passages, and situating the poem within its historical context of manners and display, this study argues that Pope uses mock-epic form to show how virtue becomes a kind of performance rather than inner substance. The paper also examines critical perspectives on morality in the poem, including moral critique, gender performance, material culture, and spectacle.
Keywords
Virtue , performance , morality , display , theatrics , Alexander Pope , The Rape of the Lock , mock-epic , eighteenth-century society , social ritual.
Research Question
“How does Alexander Pope represent virtue as a performative and theatrical act rather than as an inner moral truth in The Rape of the Lock?”awddsd
Hypothesis
In The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope portrays virtue not as a genuine moral quality but as a carefully staged performance shaped by social rituals, appearances, and the desire for public approval. Through mock-epic style and satire, he exposes how morality in eighteenth-century polite society becomes theatrical — a spectacle of manners rather than a reflection of inner virtue.
1.Introduction
1.1 Background of the Poem
The Rape of the Lock is a mock-epic poem by Alexander Pope. It takes a minor real incident — the cutting of a lock of hair from a young lady in high society — and treats it as though it were an epic war event. The poem satirises the manners, vanity and social rituals of the eighteenth-century English aristocracy.
Virtue as a performance
1.2 Purpose of the Study
This study looks at how Pope uses the form and content of the poem to show that virtue is mediated through performance — how people act, display, signal, and are seen — rather than through deep moral commitment. It suggests a reading of the poem where morality is theatre: persons perform for others, society watches and judges, and the inward vs outward boundary is blurred.
1.3 Significance
Understanding virtue as performance in this poem helps us see how eighteenth-century society thought about morality, reputation, social identity and display. It also offers insight into how satire works: making visible the gap between appearance and reality. This reading can contribute to current scholarship on performative virtue, consumer culture, and the nature of morality in literature.
1.4 Scope and Organisation
The paper proceeds as follows: Section 2 addresses the theoretical framework (virtue, performance, social display); Section 3 examines how the poem stages virtue as performance via its form and satirical devices; Section 4 analyses key rituals in the poem (toilette, social games, card-table) as moral theatre; Section 5 explores critical perspectives (gender, consumer culture, satire) supporting the performance reading; Section 6 presents conclusion and implications.
2. Theoretical Framework: Virtue, Performance & Social Display
2.1 Virtue in the Eighteenth Century
In the eighteenth century, virtue was often thought of both as individual moral excellence and as public reputation. Many social rules and manners aimed at signalling good character.
2.2 Performance Theory & Social Ritual
The notion of performance (drawing from sociologists like Erving Goffman though later) helps us understand how individuals present themselves in social contexts, manage impressions and enact roles. In literary terms, “virtue as performance” suggests that moral identity is enacted, displayed, performed for others.
2.3 Display, Spectacle and Reputation
In a society governed by rank, manners and visibility, display and spectacle become crucial: what one shows, how one is seen, how one appears in public. Virtue becomes something to show, not just to feel.
2.4 Application to the Poem
When we apply these ideas to The Rape of the Lock, we can ask: how does Pope make virtue visible, staged, and performative? What rituals does he use to display it? How does the parody of epic form amplify the performance of morality?
3. The Poem’s Form and the Theatrics of Morality
3.1 Mock-Epic Form as Satirical Devic
Pope uses epic conventions (invitations to the muse, supernatural agency, battle scenes) to treat a trivial social incident. This exaggeration forces the reader to see the gap between heroic virtue and social vanity.
3.2 Elevation of the Trivial: Theatrics of Virtue
By treating the cutting of a lock of hair as a “dire offence,” Pope makes a grand stage of a trivial act: the drama invites us to reflect on how little actions are made into moral spectacles. Virtue (or its violation) is rendered in spectacle.
3.3 Characters as Performers
Characters such as Belinda perform their roles: the beautiful lady of society, the attentive hostess, the object of admiration. The Baron performs the gallant suitor. Their moral behaviour is embedded in their role-playing.
3.4 Supernatural Machinery & Moral Theatre
The sylphs and spirits in the poem, modelling classical epic gods, help turn the social rituals into theatre: the toilette becomes a ritual space, the card-game a battlefield. These devices magnify virtue into visible performance.
4. Rituals of Social Display: Virtue in Action
4.1 The Toilette Scene: Performance of Femininity and Virtue
Belinda’s waking, her dressing, her preparations are described at length and with ritualistic detail. This shows how morality (good appearance, attentiveness, social dignity) is enacted through the toilette. The scene is a stage for performing virtue.
4.2 Social Games and Card Tables: Virtue as Game
The poem depicts cards, parties, games — all social rituals. They serve not simply as leisure but as a space where virtue (decorum, wit, honour) is displayed or undermined.
4.3 The Lock as Symbol: Theatrical Object of Virtue
The lock of hair itself becomes symbolic: its value is not just personal but social and performative. The theft of the lock becomes a spectacle, a violation of social performance (of ownership, reputation, virtue).
4.4 Vanity, Appearance and Moral Ambiguity
Pope reveals that the performance of virtue is vulnerable to vanity and superficiality: when moral acts are essentially about display, their sincerity becomes questionable. The poem invites us to ask: is the virtue real or merely acted?
5. Critical Perspectives Supporting the Performance Reading
5.1 Moral Critique and Satire
Several scholars argue that Pope’s moral aim is to critique the emptiness of aristocratic virtue. For example, the article “In Spite of All Her Art: Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock’” by A E Dyson explores how artifice and ritual dominate the poem.
Also “Versions of the Lock: Readers of ‘The Rape of the Lock’” by M Cohen discusses how interpretations of the poem shift, emphasising the social performance of reading and virtue.
5.2 Gender Performance and Virtue
The poem has been read in gender terms: how femininity and masculinity are performed according to social norms. The ritual of the toilette, the role of Belinda, Clarissa’s speech, all can be seen as performative. For instance, J Trimble’s “Clarissa’s Role in The Rape of the Lock” touches on accessory roles and performance of virtue.
5.3 Material Culture, Consumerism and Social Display
Another critical avenue looks at how objects, fashion, ornamentation in the poem are part of a culture of display, linking to how virtue is shown rather than held. While not strictly a JSTOR article, the paper “Materialism and consumer culture in Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock’” gives useful context.
5.4 Theatricality and Mock-Heroic Writing
The very form of the mock-epic is a theatrical device: the serious code of epic applied to trivial matter invites reflection on performance. The article “A Meaning for Mock-Heroic” by M Edwards discusses the self-mockery and performance of writing.
6. The Gendered Stage: Femininity, Masculinity, and Performed Virtue
6.1 Belinda’s Performed Virtue
Belinda’s Drama
Belinda is at the centre of the poem’s moral theatre. Her beauty, grace, and modesty are not private traits but public acts of display. She “awakes to the morning ritual,” performing purity and control before an imagined audience. Her toilette becomes both sacred and secular — a chapel of mirrors where she worships her own reflection. Virtue here is both devotion and disguise.
6.2 The Male Gaze and Social Validation
Belinda’s virtue depends on being observed. The Baron’s desire, the court’s admiration, and the whispering society all reinforce that virtue is something to be seen. The Baron’s theft of the lock represents not only violation but a challenge to the spectacle of moral display — the man attempts to control the image that defines feminine virtue.
6.3 Clarissa’s Speech and Moral Irony
Clarissa’s famous speech in Canto V is often read as a moral centre of the poem. She warns that beauty and charm are temporary and that true virtue should endure beyond outward show. Yet, her own participation in the social game undercuts her sermon. Pope thus creates irony: even the voice of reason performs morality as rhetoric.
7. Moral Theatre and the Politics of Appearance
7.1 Virtue as Social Currency
In eighteenth-century polite society, morality was not only ethical but economic — a form of social currency that maintained reputation and influence. Virtue, like fashion, could be exchanged, borrowed, or imitated. Belinda’s honour becomes a kind of property that others seek to possess or display.
7.2 Spectacle and Surveillance
Pope’s London world anticipates a modern culture of spectatorship: everyone watches everyone else. Public virtue is sustained through constant observation. The “coffee-house” gossip and “courtly whispers” work like a stage audience, enforcing norms of decorum.
7.3 The Moral Double Standard
Men and women perform virtue differently. For women, chastity and modesty are essential; for men, wit and honour suffice. This unequal code exposes how morality functions as social performance rather than ethical truth.
8. The Moral Irony: From Mock-Epic to Modern Morality
8.1 Mock-Epic as Moral Mirror
By exaggerating trivial events through heroic language, Pope’s poem becomes a mirror reflecting the absurdity of moral pretense. The heroic tools — invocations, battles, gods — amplify not virtue itself but its performance. Readers laugh not at morality but at how society performs it.
8.2 The Irony of Heroism
The “battle of the cards” and “the fall of the lock” parody Homeric warfare. Honour and virtue, once measured by bravery, are now tied to beauty, flirtation, and control of appearance. The mock-heroic form thus dramatizes the collapse of moral seriousness into aesthetic show.
8.3 Moral Relativism and Enlightenment Skepticism
Pope’s age questioned absolute virtue: what counts as moral? what is reputation? The poem reflects this Enlightenment anxiety — virtue without faith, morality without conviction. Pope’s satire gently mourns the loss of authentic moral feeling.
9. Legacy and Modern Resonance: Virtue as Performance Today
9.1 Continuing Relevance of Pope’s Insight
Although written in 1714, The Rape of the Lock feels strikingly modern. Today’s world — shaped by media, image, and social display — still turns virtue into performance. Pope’s satire anticipated how moral worth could become dependent on how one appears online or in society.
9.2 Re-evaluating Morality in Art and Society
By ending with a transformed lock ascending to the stars, Pope leaves readers between irony and transcendence. The poem suggests that while virtue may be performed, performance itself can still have beauty. It invites reflection: is performance always false, or can it reveal deeper truth?
10. Conclusion
Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock stands as one of the most refined examples of how poetry can transform moral reflection into elegant satire. Through his use of mock-epic conventions, Pope exposes the gap between the reality of virtue and its social performance in eighteenth-century polite society. The poem reveals that morality, far from being an inner truth rooted in conscience, often functions as a theatrical display shaped by manners, reputation, and aesthetic grace. Belinda’s ritual of the toilette, the card-game battle, and the theft of the lock all turn into miniature performances of virtue, vanity, and honour.
References :
Cohen, Murray. “Versions of the Lock: Readers of ‘The Rape of the Lock.’” ELH, vol. 43, no. 1, 1976, pp. 53–73. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2872462 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Cohen, Ralph. “The Reversal of Gender in ‘The Rape of the Lock.’” South Atlantic Bulletin, vol. 37, no. 4, 1972, pp. 54–60. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/3197366 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
DYSON, A. E., and JULIAN LOVELOCK. “In Spite of All Her Art: Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock.’” Critical Survey, vol. 5, no. 3, 1971, pp. 197–210. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41553878 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Edwards, Michael. “A Meaning for Mock-Heroic.” The Yearbook of English Studies, vol. 15, 1985, pp. 48–63. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/3508547 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Fabricant, Carole. “POPE’S MORAL, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL COMBAT.” The Eighteenth Century, vol. 29, no. 2, 1988, pp. 165–87. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41467737 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
FERGUSON, REBECCA. “‘Quick as Her Eyes, and as Unfix’d as Those’: Objectification and Seeing in Pope’s ‘Rape of the Lock.’” Critical Survey, vol. 4, no. 2, 1992, pp. 140–46. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41555644 . Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
TRIMBLE, JOHN. “Clarissa’s Role in The Rape of the Lock.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language, vol. 15, no. 4, 1974, pp. 673–91. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40754289. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
