* high level of intelligence and perception
* cunning and able to adapt
* sophisticated and educated
* self-critical and introspective
* mysterious, magnetic and charismatic
* struggling with integrity
* power of seduction and sexual attraction
* social and sexual dominance
* emotional conflicts, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness
* a distaste for social institutions and norms
* being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw
* "dark" attributes not normally associated with a hero
* disrespect of rank and privilege
* a troubled past
* cynicism
* arrogance
* self-destructive behavior
That's all well and good, but it's rather PG. The simple fact is that often times the Byronic Hero is, simply put, Sex On Wheels.
He'd have to be, looking at those character traits! Not to be confused with the Anti-Hero (think Dexter) we are drawn to the Byronic Hero because it is usually hinted that he is pining for some unspoken love and that has colored his behavior. I have a major soft spot for the Byronic Hero.
Of this list, I own all the movies and books and in the last example the CD. And every October they all start to migrate off the shelves and into my consciousness. Let's look at some of my favorites.
1. Lord George Gordon Byron - Why not start with the man himself. Let's see, affairs with both sexes, hints of incest, dubbed "Mad, Bad and Dangerous To Know" by a former lover, and the seed of the Vampire genre, in a round about way. John Polidori wrote The Vampyre based off of a fragment of a story that Byron devised the fateful day in Geneva which also saw the birth of what would become Frankenstein. Of course by the time he created Lord Ruthven (who bore a remarkable resemblance to Byron) the two had suffered a fallout and the novel was an obvious slap at Byron. Which probably bothered Bryon not at all. It does, however, lay the ground work for a long and very rich literary and cinematic Bryonic Vampire. Be still my heart. Cap all this drama dramatic death in Greece, where he was fighting with the Greeks in the War of Independence. He is a national hero in Greece to this day. Mick Jagger WISHES he was Byron ;)
2. The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice - Anne knew her business here. She perfectly played the sexuality and immortality card with charm and pain. He's charming, childish, sexual and innocent at the same time. Oh and the vampire thang. Yeah. So perfectly played.
3. Heathcliff - Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. Heathcliff is probably the best known in the BH pantheon. Talk about your dysfunctional love (or is that hate) story! Heath baby is probably the least redeemable of all the classic Broody Boys. This is not unspoken love we are dealing with here, this is thwarted love and hell has no fury like a Heathcliff scorned. Yet the underlying tragedy is that Heathcliff is made rather than born this way.
4. Mr. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin. Byronic or not? Here's the deal with Darcy. He makes the most perfect of BH. I think we all know that beneath that snobbish exterior beats the heart of a deeply romantic man. His snotty behavior early in the book that sets him up to be so mean is later revealed to be partially a misunderstanding and partially that bad character flaw all Byronic Boys have to overcome. He is the most redeemable of them all but still maintains the dark broody charm. Plus he's Darcy, and Darcy will keep the dream of true love alive till the end of time.
5. Mr. Rochester - Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte. Note to Stephenie Meyer. Yo, dipshit. *THIS* is who you most likely modeled dear Darling Edward Cullen after. Heck you even got the name right and that whole "I'm a monster thing." Of the traditional BH, Rochester is my favorite. So dark, so haunted, freaky sex scandals, mad wives and burning buildings! Disfigurement! How can you not eat that shit up with a spoon?
6. Edward Cullen - The Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer. Edward Cullen is the textbook example of the Byronic Hero. In fact he is SUCH a walking stereotype that he should be unbearable but somehow, someway Meyer pulled it off. Which I think is a testament to the archetype and not the author. Frustrated love, the whole martyr syndrome of "I'm bad for you but I love you too much to let you go" and the vampire thang? Hello. And yeah I know that is not a Twilight picture. Who's wants to argue it's merit with me :P
7. Angel - Buffy/Angel - Joss Whedon. Angel is also a near perfect archetype of the Byronic Hero. He sure has the dark secret of his past to atone for courtesy of being a vampire killer. Lost love and a gypsy curse don't hurt either. He's always been a favorite of mine.
8. Hamlet - Obviously Shakespeare pre-dates but I think the whole Mommy issue, dead father, crazy girlfriend who you spurn and she kills herself thing it can be said he is a precursor.
9. Eric Draven - The Crow - James O'Barr. Eric is, in my mind, the best modern example of the Byronic Hero myth to date. Returning from the dead to avenge the death of the woman he loved only to be reunited with her in death at the end? It does not get much more Byronic than that. "Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever." Best. Line. Ever.
10. Batman - Bob Kane and Bill Finger - Ok so The Bat is a pretty damn good modern version as well. Poor Bruce. So tragic and mis-understood. He hides in a Batcave and avenges the wrongs committed against his family and his city but he does it outside of the law.
11. Maxim de Winter - Rebecca -Daphne Du Maurier. So let's see. Murder, haunted house, new wife who's new name is never given. Tragic fire and exile? Yup we got a winner here.
12. Dracula - Bram's Stoker's Dracula - The Movie. Vampires in general ALL fit the mold. In the Francis Ford Coppola' movie, we have a Vampire driven mad by grief of the loss of the love of his life. It's introduced a human element to an inhuman being. Nice work Francis.
13. Jim Morrison - completely cultivated the Byronic Mystique - Jim Morrison took the Byronic persona and turned it to an art form. Combined with the imagery of the William Blake's poems and sha-bang. Jim reinvented what it meant to be a rock star.
And since I am incapable of leaving you without music, I give you the Hella Random playlist. This posts selection is No Myth - Michael Penn.
