Pope and Timon

Knox-Shaw talks about Alexander Pope and his writings. The reference to Timon was especially apropos, for Pope's long-gestated edition of Shakespeare, which was newly published. A twentieth century critic, struck by the blend of general satire and political critique in the dramatic treatment of the arch-misanthrope, memorably described Timon as Shakespeare's Gulliver, a fierce and sweeping indictment of the ideals and social ethics of the age.