GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON

Byronic Hero

‘’Hey, Johnny, What are you rebelling against’’? ‘’What’ve you got’’? - Marlon Brando

Movies such as Marlon Brando’s ‘’Wild One’’ have popularized the ideal of an irresistible bad boy, glamorous in his fatal passion, rivaling society with a hell-bent glare.

This bad boy stereotype first entered English culture in the poetry of Lord Byron. These ill-fated but beautifully emotional characters are called “Byronic Heroes.”

Byronic Hero- Characteristics Anti-hero, dark side Advanced intelligence and perception cunning and able to adapt sophisticated and educated self-critical and introspective, internal struggle mysterious, magnetic and charismatic Seductive, socially and sexually dominant Emotionally unstable, moody, cynical, arrogant,

self-destructive Rails against conventional society, disregards

authority, rank, privilege

Examples:

19th century Byron’s: Manfred, Childe Harold Wuthering Heights – Heathcliff Jane Eyre – Mr. Rochester Phantom of the Opera – Erik aka “The Phantom”

20th Century: James Joyce’s - Stephen Daedelus The Crow Spawn Batman Dr. Gregory House Vampire Chronicles - Lestat

Don Juan

Parody/Satire Lofty epic All things Romantic – anti Wordsworthian

Somewhat typical of late romantics “modern folly”

Pokes fun at: Religion and morality Authority

Nothing is sacred Pokes fun at himself as well

Holds respect for: Sexual love

Don Juan

Narrator Parodies the intrusive narrators of

previous literary generations Extraordinarily self-concious Gets off topic On tangents Breaks the “fourth wall”

Don Juan

Still retains some Romantic traits Democracy, revolution Divinity of