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Analysing Byron's Don Juan:  A B1/B2 Methodological Guide

15.12.2025

Is Lord Byron's epic poem, Don Juan, an important component of your English literature studies? While the full text is fast, understanding its core elements (context, structure and themes) is essential for success in both written and oral examinations. 

This structured guide provides a concise overview of my video analysis series. Each section corresponds to a lesson designed to equip students with the analytical vocabulary and arguments necessary to discuss the author and his work clearly and effectively..

Focus: Establishing the 'when' and 'why' behind the poem.

Understanding the historical environment and Byron's personal life is crucial for interpreting the poem's satirical elements. This lesson covers key influences that shaped Byron's critique of society.

Lesson 1: Historical Context

Focus: Establishing the 'when' and 'why' behind the poem.

Main Concepts:

  • The influence of the Napoleonic Wars and the fall of old aristocratic systems.

  • How Byron's personal scandals and exile informed a social commentary.

  • The poem functions as a mirror reflecting the turmoil and contradiction of the late Romantic era.

Video link: https://youtu.be/zL1KScvAQMc


Lesson 2: Publication and Sources

Focus: The text's rebellious reception and its literary sources.

This section examines the material conditions of the poems, creation and its place within literary tradition.

Main Concepts:

  • The controversy and censorship surrounding the poems, initial publication and instalments

  • The significant conflict between Byron and his first publisher, John Murray.
  • The poem is illusions to classical works, including the original Don Juan legend and Homer's The Odyssey.

Video link: https://youtu.be/1cmF1ZiGx2s







Lesson 3: Genre: Mock Heroic Satire

Focus: Defining and illustrating the genre.

To analyse Don Juan, students must accurately define and illustrate the poem's genre.

Main Concepts:

  • Don Juan is a mock heroic poem, borrowing the elevated tone of classical epics to describe trivial or scandalous events.

  • The genre is used as a vehicle for satire, exposing hypocrisy and human weakness.

  • The video provides contemporary and classical examples to clarify the satirical effect for B1/B2 students.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-XPejTDEA4s

Lesson 4: Structure and Plot

Focus: Analysing how structure supports plot.

This lesson explores the architecture of the poem, showing that its structure is a deliberate satirical technique.

Main Concepts:

  • The use of episodic structure (a series of separate adventures) to mock the linear hero's journey found in traditional epics.

  • The adoption of Ottava Rima (an eight-line stanza) provides a consistent yet flexible rhythm for Byron's ironic commentary.

  • The chaotic nature of the plot reflects the ridiculousness of real life as perceived by Byron.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDtXChLXuYU

Lesson 5: Character Analysis

Focus: The protagonist and the supporting characters.

Students often misunderstand the protagonist. This lesson clarifies the roles of the main characters in Byron's social critique.

Main Concepts:

  • Don Juan is presented as a passive hero—more observed than observer, making him a vehicle for satire.

  • The key female characters (e.g., Donna Inez, Donna Julia, Gulbeyaz) represent different forms of societal control and power.

  • The analysis highlights the contrast between characters to discuss themes of gender and morality.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/z10OeNJO_OU

Lesson 6: Setting and Satire

Focus: How place and time function as critical tools.

The diverse settings of the poem are not merely backdrops; they are key components of Byron's critique.

Main Concepts:

  • The poem uses a line of contrasts (Seville, Greek Island, Constantinople, England) as a social experiment.

  • The mixing of historical timelines (17th-century legend with 19th-century commentary) emphasizes that human hypocrisy remains constant.

  • Each setting serves as a distinct target for Byron's satire on different social rules and customs.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/ALhbHYa3ktA

Lesson 7: Narrative Techniques

Focus: The how of the poem's effect.

This lesson provides the precise vocabulary needed to discuss Byron's distinctive voice and style.

Main Concepts:

  • The effect of the conversational, first-person narrator who addresses the reader directly.

  • The frequent use of digression (leaving the main story) to introduce witty, personal, and critical commentary.

  • Analysing the use of irony and exaggeration to achieve satirical objectives.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/M2kMs6tar1Y

Lesson 8: Central Themes

Focus: The universal ideas explored by the poet.

The final lesson synthesizes the series by presenting the core thematic arguments required for any high-level response.

Main Concepts:

  • Hypocrisy and Folly: The central theme, critiqued through humour and exaggeration.

  • Individualism vs. Society: The clash between personal desire and rigid social expectations.

  • Moral Ambiguity: The poem's refusal to present characters as purely good or evil, exploring the complexities of human morality.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/L-jL_bkZ9Rs

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