Byronic Hero

             Manfred was Byron's first dramatic work. It is the story of a man who was hounded by remorse and guilt. In some ways it is an autobiography of Byron himself. Byron was suspected of having incestuous relations with his sister; it is hinted that Manfred suffered from the guilt associated with incestuous love. Byron lost his sister to marriage and his exile while it is hinted that Manfred's sister committed suicide. .
             In the Act 1, lines 136-138, Manfred asks the spirits to make him forget what he can never forget. He can't even say what it is. A few lines later, he gets angry at the spirits and threatens them. He's obviously not impressed with the spirits and when the most powerful one takes a form, Manfred can't bear the sight of it. In Act 1, Scene 2, Manfred says " Farewell, ye opening heavens! Ye were not meant for me - Earth! take these atoms!- in his suicide attempt. Manfred exhibits classic Byronic hero characteristics: he suffers from great passion, is not very impressionable, has committed a crime he cannot forget and is self-destructive. .
             Manfred also considers himself an outsider, as he tells the witch in Act 2, Scene 2. His joy is being in the wilderness, wandering the mountaintops. It can be deduced from this statement that Manfred is a self-sufficient man. After all, there weren't any 7-11's in the mountains in the 19th century. He would have been forced to fend for himself, creating shelter and finding food. He exhibits great confidence in his abilities to survive. In the end, Act 3, Scene 3, Manfred is still defiant. He tells the spirit that he will die alone, like he has lived. The spirits or demons have no power over him, what Manfred has done for good or evil is his alone to bear and there is nothing for the spirit to gain from him, " I have not been thy dupe, nor am thy prey but was my own destroyer, and will be .
             We can find these heroes in our current culture as well.