The Rape of The Lock: Lines 715-718 - Summary & Analysis

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Lines: 715-718. Now Jove suspends.....the hairs subside

      Summary: The battle has carried on for some time. Now the issue must be finally decided. So Jupiter suspends his golden scales in heaven in order to decide which of the two parties should be declared victorious. The wits of men is placed on one side of the scale and the hair of women on the other. The scale waves for sometime indecisively. Even Jove's scale is unable to decide promptly. And ultimately the hair of the ladies proves to be heavier than the wits of men. The ladies turn out to be the victor.

      Critical Analysis: In the Iliad, Jove uses his golden scales to decide the fates of the two warring parties of the gods. Pope has mimicked this episode in the epic to good effect. The fact that the hair of the women-folk proves to be heavier than the men's wit is a sharp commentary on the hollowness of men in Pope's age.

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