Abstract
New chapter for the expanded second edition, not previously included in the first edition of the Companion (CUP, 2004). Reading Byron's dramas through the conceptual framework of modern play theory helps us appreciate the works of 1820-22 as a unique experimental project.
If we focus on Byron's transgressive playfulness both in terms of genre expectations and the ethos of his original sources (ranging from the Bible and the apocrypha to historical accounts and popular fictional narratives), we may disambiguate some of the more persistent critical quandaries, such as Byron's unsystematic thinking or lack of dramatic rigueur. Rather than aloof carelessness, these dramas clearly attest to Byron's critical insight into the limits of the authoritative, be it religious or historical, and form a key part of his lifelong exploration of liberty, where the personal is inextricably linked to the political.
Play, and playing, for Byron, is one of the key concepts of cultural history.