Literary Gothicism The Satanic/Byronic Hero Wwwnorton.com/nael/nto/romantic

Late 18 th century Literary Gothic Pleasurably terrifying experiences Set in ancient castles, dungeons, secret passageways, graveyards Flickering lamps Screams, moans Ghosts

Precursors to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho Matthew Gregory Lewis’s The Monk Frankenstein inspired by the reading of German ghost stories

The Satanic Hero Revised readings of Milton’s Paradise Lost Only in the 19 th century did readers begin to sympathize with Satan See Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Shelley wrote that Satan rightly rebels against a tyrannical God. (But admits that Satan is flawed by the need for vengeance and pride)

Some famous Byronic heroes Heathcliff in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Ahab in Melville’s Moby Dick Victor Frankenstein in Shelley’s Frankenstein

Byron’s heroes (from “Lara” “In him inexplicably mix’d appeared Much to be loved and hated, sought and feared” “There was in him a vital scorn of all: As if the worst had fall’n which could befall He stood a stranger in this breathing world:, An erring spirit from another hurled; A thing of dark imaginings... “ “His madness was not of the head, but heart;”