Byron's Idea of Tolerance in The Vision of Judgment

Abstract

This article considers how Byron explores his thoughts regarding tolerance and mercy in his 1822 poem The Vision of Judgment, a work that represents a sophisticated synthesis of England's satiric and vatic literary traditions. By blending comedy and vision in this piece, Byron creates an opportunity to refine the ideas of forgiveness introduced in his Venetian historical plays without forgoing his opposition to the royal authoritarianism of the late King George III and to the flattering state poetry of Robert Southey, a principal foe.