17-06-2018, 12:18 AM
7616
Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley
The Byronic Hero
Byron conceived this type of hero through his works, with Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812) said to be the first instance of such a man. The Byronic hero is one that closely mimics Byron himself, and is best summed up by Lord Macauley: "a man proud, moody, cynical with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart, a scorner of his kind, implacable in revenge, yet capable of deep and strong affection" (from Critical and Historical Essays Volume 2). An excellent example of the Byronic hero can be found in Manfred (1817). Manfred fits these Romantic criteria because he is above other humans so he must not submit to other human authority. Manfred is a man's man that only submits to himself and, later on, he proves to be his own regulator by means of self destruction. The classic Byronic hero, like Victor Frankenstein, does not fall because of others, but by his own hand and mistakes. Unmatched brilliance and arrogance are the eventual downfall for all Byronic heroes. Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost shares many similarities with Manfred and Victor Frankenstein alike as he is a revolutionary model for the Romantics. Mary Shelley, having spent time with and read Byron's work was influenced to make Victor, the human, the Byronic hero, while the monster is the tragic hero.