byron, context and critics

The Byronic hero

Byron helped inventa new literary archetype: moody, rebellious, excited and romanticised anti hero, was later used to inspire characters in literature (heathcliff, Dracula and batman)

Scandal and celebrity

Byron was a celebrity poet, infamous for affairs, incest rumours, debts and exile. His public persona influences how his poetry is read, he was deeply critical of British hypocrisy, especially around sexual morality, aristocracy and imperialism

Exile and outsider identity

Was self exiled from England in 1816, he lived across Europe and fought for Greek independance, he often aligned himself with outcasts, exiles and revolutionaries