The Byronic Hero
Heroes about 6000 years ago were much different from heroes that we know which existed during the Romantic and Modern Era (Byronic 1). Most of these heroes were different in a sense that they stood out in every aspect from the commoners around them. Stories of these heroes existed mostly around ancient Greek times. The stories of Hercules, Achilles, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Orpheus defined heroes from that time period all the way until the 1700’s which was around the end of the Romantic Era (The 1). However with the transition coming out of the Romantic Era, the literature views on the characteristics of a hero greatly shifted and changed as the people began to look towards a more tangible and relatable protagonist, thus leading us to the Byronic Hero.
The definition of a hero in the Greek and Romantic era was and is that a hero is more physically capable and more knowledgeable about areas such as the spiritual world, street thinking, and scholastically (The 1) . They also have support from the commoners and the commoners look up to heroes rather than be on the same level. A Byronic hero is defined as a person as perfect as a hero but flawed like a human, in other words, is not stronger nor smarter, but has qualities and attributes to benefit those around him in a more subtle way (Fleming 1). George Gordon Byron, also known as Lord Byron, in his dramatic poem Manfred, first introduced the Byronic hero to us (American 1). Throughout Lord Byron’s life he encountered several incidents of heart break, hard trials, and toad bumps which ultimately led to his characterization of a Byronic hero, following the characteristics of his own life. Like Byron, Manfred tells of his agony because a dark secret from his p...
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...hantom of the Opera show the hero as an outwardly regular but inwardly different person (Fleming 2). One major life changing impact on today’s society is the world of Disney. In several movies such as the hunchback of
Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin we experience the Byronic hero as a peasant, lower class, and less worthy being held within society (Byronic 1).
Without the Byronic hero, literature and media today would be completely different and we may not have the same courses and classes that are available in today’s generation. So with the transition out of the Romanic Era, writers like Lord Byron inspired the recreation of a hero figure within the literature aspect of story writing and without this sudden change of interest, we would still look up to the perfect and flawless Greek hero greater than our relatable and tangible Byronic hero.
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the journey of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus shows that he is an antihero through his pride, disloyalty, and bloodthirstiness.
Varying from time, location and person, what it takes to be considered a hero has remained for the most part unanimous and throughout time has been represented in multiple ways. Most present in dated writing, a hero 's image and pride make up a big portion of most heroes. Their heroes aren’t so humble and they aspire to keep their title of "hero". On the contrary, most heroes in literature today are quite modest and don 't expect to be viewed as or considered heroes (more often than not they themselves do not classify with being heroes). As is the case for Beowulf and Katniss Everdeen, both different and yet also similar in terms of action, motives and thought (their personality being what really separates the two). Perhaps the biggest part of how a hero is treated and acts depends on what their society is like. Throughout time, the overall qualities of a hero have remained very similar. What has changed, is
The Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf, and Hamlet are classical stories that are still relatable and debatable to read and discuss. Though some of the stories are intertwined or continue off one another, the character and stories are distinctive. The stories contain different hero development and progression among them. All the stories contain an idea or concept of a hero that may not necessarily have to do with gaining power or control like modern superheroes. Power and control are referred to having to be the ruler and having the ability to do what you'd like. The modern heroes selflessness of a human on duty or even volunteering, and that person’s willingness to put their own lives on the line for the lives of absolute strangers, is specifically the quality that redefines the modern hero and separates them from heroes in the past.
When modern readers think of the term “epic hero”, names such as Superman, Batman, and even real life figures such as LeBron James, AJ McCarron, and countless others instantly come into play. All of them have many similarities; they are all “larger-than-life” heroes who display many epic characteristics such as bravery, might, and supreme confidence. However, each is unique in his/her own way. Diving into the world of ancient literature, and one can find many more great heroes that define the term and provide countless entertaining stories of their journeys and battles throughout the primordial word. Beowulf from the
The perfect image of a true hero is Beowulf. His courage and confidence seems to come naturally. He is the ideal man; he puts others before himself and has amazing physical and mental strength. He is so revered that he can boast about his achievements without seeming vain. “I had greater strength on the sea, more ordeals on the waves as any other man.” (Luizza 69)
“Lord Byron.” Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of World Literature. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009: 269-272. Student Resources in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Societies construct heroes that represent and embody the ideals of those who create them and read about them. Their is a stark contrast between the hero in the time of Beowulf and Hamlet’s creation and heroes created in modern times. Current literature, movies, and television portray a different kind of hero from those created in 1000 AD to 1600 AD. A hero is defined as someone who is "admired for achievements and noble qualities"," shows great courage", and in historical texts such as Beowulf and Hamlet is a "legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability" or an "illustrious warrior" (Merriam-Webster). Despite the popular belief that the time for heroes has passed away, based on the needs of society, today's
Not every hero is a perfect model of character, but these well-known heroes of epic poetry do have powerful senses of honor and endeavor. Perhaps the authors meant these characters to exhibit flaws, or to relate to an idealized hero image that modern readers cannot understand. Regardless, it cannot be assumed that these characters are driven by a simple egotism, but rather by the same desire of many other men to be remembered, especially to be remembered for great things.
In studying different types of heroes this semester, we have come across several examples of heroes and heroines. From the Trojan War to the Italian renaissance, tragic heroes have been consistently present in the stories we have read this semester. In this essay I will expose the similarities and differences between tragic heroes that we have encountered in The Iliad (as recorded by Homer), The Aeneid (by Virgil), Oedipus the King (written by Sophocles), and in The Prince (written by Niccolo Machiavelli).
The similarities existing between the two characters, Cristina Ceron argues, also align in Manfred’s first act soliloquy, in which the Byronic hero praises his superhuman powers announcing himself the devil and the sovereign of the world:
Homer is credited for writing epics that generate source materials for the modern world. The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer are captivating stories with fascinating heroic characters. The Homer stories share with classical mythology typical recurrent motifs. The two Homer epic poems focus on the Trojan War, and its result. The epic poems contain the Greek mythology featuring the Greek gods, goddesses, mythological creatures, and the Greek heroes, and heroines. In addition, the principal motifs typical of classical mythological hero stories are; the dominance of fate, evil fighting against the gods, and death. In both the classic mythology, and he modern fiction hero stories, the heroes always have a helper in their expedition, but ultimately, they have to stand alone, face the darkness, and conquer it in order to become victorious.
When I think of society’s modern heroes today the fictional characters of Batman and Spiderman come to mind because they protect the lives of the people in the communities from the bad guys. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero because he makes the reader feel he is a larger than life character than those of human characteristics. However, Dante’s main character makes the reader feel his emotional roll a coaster and sensitivity as in everyman towards the sinner in the depths of The Inferno. It is interesting how modern heroes show much of the same qualities as
Thorslev, Peter L., Jr. The Byronic Hero: Types and Prototypes. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. 1962. Print.
In literature, there are two types of heroes, epic and tragic. An epic hero reflects their society’s values, immortalized in the eyes of their people, and shows courage in the face of adverse situations. Achilles is an epic hero because he embodied the honor that was so highly regarded in Greek society, chose to die early in battle and be remembered gloriously rather than living a long anonymous life in his homeland of Pthia, and avenged Patroclus’s death.
Some of Byron’s greatest poems are all drawn from his life and his experiences. Many of them involve Byron’s numerous dysfunctional love affairs and his attempts to find more in his life other than lust, through his adventures. Without the inspiration Byron gathered from his unusual and flamboyant life, it is possible that Byron would not be such a notable leader in the Romantic Movement, as many see him today.