Dramatic Speculation and the Quest for Faith in Lord Byron's Cain

Byron's "Cain" offers a documentation of his conflicting responses to religious questions. This text argues that, far from attacking personal faith, the play obliquely defends it by satirizing the narrow orthodoxy which seeks to suppress an authentic personal quest for religious truth. The play therefore embodies Byron's own sincere quest, offering both catharsis and affirmation. "Cain" illuminates not only the mind of the poet, but also sometimes hidden assumptions of his readership, both then and now.