Don Juan · Chapter
Don Juan explained
The opening of Byron's satirical epic introduces the hero's birth and parentage, focusing on the contrasting characters of his parents, Don José and Donna Inez, and setting the stage for his early education and the hypocrisy of Spanish soci
What happens
The opening of Byron's satirical epic introduces the hero's birth and parentage, focusing on the contrasting characters of his parents, Don José and Donna Inez, and setting the stage for his early education and the hypocrisy of Spanish society.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Cant
Donna Inez's moral posturing and the contrast between public virtue and private vice are central to the chapter.
Satire of Society
Byron mocks the pretensions of Spanish nobility and the absurdities of Juan's early education.
Characters to notice
- Don Juan
The titular hero, introduced as a child born to Donna Inez and Don José.
- Donna Inez
Juan's learned and moralizing mother, who dominates his early upbringing.
- Don José
Juan's father, portrayed as a libertine whose death leaves Inez to raise Juan alone.
Key passages
“I want a hero: an uncommon want, / When every year and month sends forth a new one, / Till, after cloying the gazettes with cant, / The age discovers he is not the true one;”
Byron opens by declaring his need for a hero, satirizing the constant parade of false heroes in the news.
The poet sets a mocking tone, questioning the very concept of heroism.
“His mother was a learned lady, famed / For every branch of every science known— / In every Christian language ever named, / With virtues equalled by her wit alone:”
Donna Inez is described as a highly educated woman, renowned for her intellect and moral virtues.
Byron ironically praises Inez's learning while hinting at her hypocrisy.