Byronic hero
A theme that pervades much of
Byron's work is that of the
Byronic hero, an idealised but flawed character whose attributes include:
- being a rebel
- having a distaste for social institutions
- being an exile
- expressing a lack of respect for rank and privilege
- having great talent
- hiding an unsavoury past
- being highly passionate
- ultimately, being self-destructive
The literary history of the Byronic hero can be traced from
Milton, and Byron's influence was manifested by many authors and artists of the
Romantic movement during the
19th Century and beyond.