Books · 1846
The brilliant chief, irregularly great, Frank, haughty, rash,–the Rupert of debate!
— Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton · The New Timon
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker portrays a gifted leader in argument whose greatness is uneven rather than smooth. He is candid, proud and impulsive, and the closing comparison to a Rupert of debate casts him as a dashing, headlong fighter in words. Admiration and criticism sit side by side.
Context reviewed