The Rape of the Lock

One of the central themes of “The Rape of the Lock” is morality and the development of virtue. Because the poem is a satire, a textual example of a moral or virtuous person is absent from the poem itself, but Pope uses the characters to reveal an absence of morality or virtuousness. Ironically, the most moral character of the text is Ariel, a sylph whose purpose is to protect Belinda from making immoral choices, but even he falls short of moral obligations.

To highlight the absence of virtue, Pope uses the trope of appearance versus reality. The characters of the poem present themselves to others a certain way, though in reality they are not being genuine. The first example of this is Belinda’s arrival at the Thames:

Yet graceful ease, and sweetness void of pride

Might hide her faults, if belles had faults to hide: 

If to her share some female errors fall, 

Look on her face, and you’ll forget ‘em all (Lines 15-18).

With these lines, Pope suggests that Belinda’s lack of virtue is masked by the beauty of her face. Therefore, her appearance is at odds with her true nature.