The quintessential depiction of the Byronic hero is accompanied in this edition by a substantial selection of contextual materials, including Byron’s original draft of the play’s conclusion; influences on the poem, such as Paradise Lost, Goethe’s Faust, and Vathek; further examples of the Byronic hero from the poet’s other writings; a selection of contemporary reviews; and an excerpt from Man-Fred, a dramatic parody in which the protagonist is reimagined as a chimney-sweep.
A quintessential depiction of the Byronic hero, Byron's poetic drama Manfred centres on the interior sufferings of its psychologically tortured title character, who is haunted by the death of his forbidden lover. This edition of Manfred is accompanied by a substantial selection of contextual materials.