Byron's exuberant masterpiece tells of the adventures of Don Juan beginning with his illicit love affair at the age of sixteen in his native Spain & his subsequent exile to Italy. Following a dramatic shipwreck his exploits take him to Greece where he is sold as a slave & to Russia where he becomes a favourite of the Empress Catherine who sends him on to Engl&. Written entirely in ottava rima stanza form Byron's Don Juan blends high drama with earthy humour outrageous satire of his contemporaries (in particular Wordsworth & Southey) & sharp mockery of Western societies with England coming under particular attack.