As an obsessive and ambitious creator in pursuit of great knowledge, Victor Frankenstein and his doppelganger, the Monster, display many characteristics of the Byronic hero celebrated by Lord Byron in many of his greatest works, including Manfred. Mary Shelley’s depiction of the life and actions of Frankenstein and his Monster, however, suggest that the Byronic hero is not to be lauded as a great and sympathetic character exuding true independence and courage, but rather as a self-centred and contemptible character with no regard for the way his actions affect others.
According to Peter Thorslev, author of The Byronic Hero, the Byronic hero is one of the most notable types of literary heroes during the Romantic period:
[...] Romantic heroes …show more content…
Thorslev describes this figure as being “bigger than life” and “above the common level, with greater powers, greater dignity, and a greater soul” (186). The Byronic hero possesses the qualities of mortal man, so man can identify with this character, but on a grander, magnified scale. Thorslev also describes the Byronic hero is being “better” and more “virtuous” (186) than man, despite his tragic flaw. Often times, the Byronic hero will appear as “a single figure; stark and solitary against a natural background” (Greenblatt …show more content…
He states during his interactions with the witch in the second act that:
[...] From my youth upwards
My spirit walk’d not with the souls of men,
Nor look’d upon the earth with human eyes;
The thirst of their ambition was not mine,
The aim of their existence was not mine;
My joys, my griefs, my passions, and my powers,
Made me a stranger (Manfred 2.2.50-56)
Based on these lines, Manfred admits to feeling superior to other men. His thirst for knowledge is inexplicable, but ultimately must be sought. He is egotistical in the best sense. Manfred does not require the approval of others, and their rejection only allows him to further prove that he is above them by accepting his own fate on his own terms. Rejecting the Abbot who attempts to aid him seek redemption in his last moments, he exclaims “Old man! ‘Tis not so difficult to die” (3.4.151), which ultimately casts him as a courageous hero who embraces death. As Paul Cantor argues in his essay, “Mary Shelley and the Taming of the Byronic Hero”:
What works like Frankenstein [...] call attention to in Romantic literature in general and in Byron’s poetry in particular is the remarkable prevalence of aggression and violence in a movement that claimed to promote peace and love. (Cantor
According to Peter Thorslev, author of The Byronic Hero, the Byronic hero is one of the most notable types of literary heroes during the Romantic period:
[...] Romantic heroes …show more content…
Thorslev describes this figure as being “bigger than life” and “above the common level, with greater powers, greater dignity, and a greater soul” (186). The Byronic hero possesses the qualities of mortal man, so man can identify with this character, but on a grander, magnified scale. Thorslev also describes the Byronic hero is being “better” and more “virtuous” (186) than man, despite his tragic flaw. Often times, the Byronic hero will appear as “a single figure; stark and solitary against a natural background” (Greenblatt …show more content…
He states during his interactions with the witch in the second act that:
[...] From my youth upwards
My spirit walk’d not with the souls of men,
Nor look’d upon the earth with human eyes;
The thirst of their ambition was not mine,
The aim of their existence was not mine;
My joys, my griefs, my passions, and my powers,
Made me a stranger (Manfred 2.2.50-56)
Based on these lines, Manfred admits to feeling superior to other men. His thirst for knowledge is inexplicable, but ultimately must be sought. He is egotistical in the best sense. Manfred does not require the approval of others, and their rejection only allows him to further prove that he is above them by accepting his own fate on his own terms. Rejecting the Abbot who attempts to aid him seek redemption in his last moments, he exclaims “Old man! ‘Tis not so difficult to die” (3.4.151), which ultimately casts him as a courageous hero who embraces death. As Paul Cantor argues in his essay, “Mary Shelley and the Taming of the Byronic Hero”:
What works like Frankenstein [...] call attention to in Romantic literature in general and in Byron’s poetry in particular is the remarkable prevalence of aggression and violence in a movement that claimed to promote peace and love. (Cantor