Interpreting Lord Byron's Manfred

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Lord Byron's Manfred is a dramatic poem that can be interpreted in many ways. Manfred is clearly distraught throughout the play, and it appears to be because of the death of his sister and lover Astarte. It is only hinted, which allows the reader to imagine how Manfred is really reacting, down to his emotions and facial expressions. In Act 2, Scene 2, Manfred makes his most revealing statement. He has spoken to many different supernatural creatures since the beginning of the play. In the middle of scene 2, he decides to summon a witch. As he is speaking to her, he gives the audience the background to this situation. He explains how he grew up feeling alone and that he found joy in the wilderness. He was insecure because he has supernatural powers. When he was among the mountains and rivers, he felt more human. He tells the witch there was only one woman he could relate to, and that he loved her. This woman is also the source of all his anguish, "the core of [his] heart's grief" (99).

The way I interpret this play, Manfred is an individual who is starving for love. When his sister Astarte showed him care, he got carried away with her affection. Their love escalated into something Astarte could not handle and she committed suicide. Tragically it seems like Manfred loved Astarte more than she loved him. When he begs her to profess her love, she responds "Farewell...Farewell!" (153-155). She does not respond in a way that shows feelings for him at all.

In Act 2, Scene 2, Manfred has already talked to many creatures searching for Astarte. He wants to see her once more and that one thought is consuming his mind. His speech (lines 49-96) expresses a grieving mood. He uses dark imagery like "I had no sympathy wit...

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... die. As he is saying this, Manfred would be tense and have confidence in his voice.

Throughout this passage, Manfred switches from a calm recollection to a desperate pleading for aid from the witch. The witch is intelligent, as she got Manfred to say what he wanted. In this scene there would not too much action. Only the witch and Manfred would be talking while they are sitting on some rocks in the Valley. When Manfred becomes angry, they do interact forcefully. One technique that would be used in the filming is flashback. As Manfred talks about his past and falling in love with Asarte, it would be helpful to show scenes of him in the wilderness and with Astarte. Then finally when it is hinted that Astarte committed suicide, a glimpse of her body would have an impact on the audience. This would also demonstrate my interpretation of the play well.

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