Which social conventions does Lord Byron criticize in Don Juan?

In his satirical masterpiece Don Juan, Lord Byron utilizes a picaresque narrative to critique the hypocrisies and "cant" that underpin various social and sexual conventions of his time.1

Rather than presenting a traditional libertine, Byron portrays his protagonist as an innocent, rational norm, allowing him to expose the absurdities and irrationalities of the world. His primary targets include:1

• Social and Sexual Hypocrisy: Byron consistently attacks the false facades and moral pretenses that govern human behavior.1
• Human Pretensions: He satirizes the vain ambitions and self-importance of various figures, including poets, lovers, generals, and rulers.1
• Sentimentalism: Using the ottava rima form, Byron employs digressive commentary and sharp final couplets to deflate sentimental pretensions and reveal the comic discrepancy between reality and appearance.12

Ultimately, the poem serves as a vehicle for Byron to unmask the hypocritical facade of reality, contrasting the "gloom" of his earlier work with a witty, ironic, and realistic perspective on humanity.12