The Anti-Hero

After reading Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," I found it interesting that in the first few paragraphs there were already a few instances that resemble this idea of a mock-epic. The second verse-paragraph encapsulates Pope’s subversion of the epic genre. In lines 11-12 Pope juxtaposes grand emotions with unheroic character-types, specifically “little men” and women: “In tasks so bold can little men engage, / And in soft bosoms dwells such mighty rage.” The irony of pairing epic characteristics with lowly human characters contributes to Pope’s mock-heroic style. In addition, the “mighty rage” of women evokes the rage of Achilles at the outset of The Iliad, this foreshadows the comic gender-reversal that characterizes the rest of the poem. Rather than distinguish the subjects of the poem as in a traditional epic, Pope uses the mock-heroic genre to elevate and ridicule his subjects simultaneously, creating a satire that scolds society for its misplaced values and emphasis on insignificant matters.I also found it interesting that there were similarities between this work and The Duchess of Malfi in regards to gender reversal. Did anyone else catch this similarity?