Epistle to a Lady: Of the Characters of Women - Alexander Pope

In “Epistle to a Lady: Of the Characters of Women” Alexander Pope writes about women, giving us a different perspective of women and the way men saw women during this time period. Pope in his poem argues that women have no character. He rips women apart saying they have no character, or are seen as rude and whores. There is a set way women should act. They should stay inside, doing domestic work. Pope examines how women use their beauty to express themselves, distinguishing themselves from others. He lists many negative and displeasing qualities of women and says that not all people fit into the common stereotypes – not all women are the same. He points out that many women write and speak about their virtues and religion, having a certain opinion but then go out and act in contradicting ways to everything they say depending on the situation. He also says that everything is two sided and should not only be looked at in one way. There are other ways of seeing and interpreting things.