| The Byronic Hero "mad, bad and dangerous to know" < -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> |
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The Byronic Hero is a concept taken from literture and named for it's first appearance in Byron's semi-autobiographical poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. The Byronic Hero is typically an idealised but flawed personality and tend to display some, but not necessarily all, of the following characteristics: · conflicting emotions, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness · self-critical and introspective · struggles with integrity · a distaste for social institutions and social norms · being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw · a lack of respect for rank and privilege · a troubled past · being cynical, demanding, and/or arrogant · often self-destructive · troubles with sexual identity · loner, often rejected from society The influence of this character type, and Byron's work in general, is seen throughout the Romantic & Gothic Movements of the 19th century in such works as: Glenavron - Lady Caroline Lamb The Vampyre - John Polidori Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Portrait of An Artist As a Young Man - James Joyce The Byronic Hero continues to appear in comptemporary fiction and is considerd to be the presursor to the more commonly seen anti-hero. The Byronic Hero is not to be mistaken with the Ironic Hero, who tends towards awful jokes, ludicrous dress sense & bad teeth, as invented by danceswithgoths at half past five last night. The prime example of this character type is Austin Powers. [CULTURE] [HOME] |
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