Defining the Rake and Identifying His Demise in Addison and Steele's Spectator and Tattler

The rake is easily identified in English literature by his free and frank manner of speaking, of achieving conquest over a number of women, and of being charming as well as devilish. Most notably, a rake, such as Rochester, for example, is most readily made apparent by his undisguised misogyny and rejection of romantic love. While this type of man may have enjoyed a long reign, with the arrival of the new middle class and consumable media and goods, tastes dictated that this man was no longer the debonair representation of masculinity this new group wished to project. Instead of reckless libertinism and unabashed expression of contempt for "feminine" notions such as love and marriage, the new man would be governed by reason, sense, and be able to carry on witty and intelligent conversation. In short, the middle classes for whom Addison and Steele are writing to, for, and about have new conceptions of masculinity and even sexuality. It is far more conservative, polite, and leaves little room for the antics and bravado of the rake. In this discussion about rakes, it should be noted that there were also female versions of the rake, known as coquettes. When Steele attacks the rakes, he makes certain to extend his criticism beyond the males for a moment in order to address the important concern of women who use sex and flirtation for their own ends.�