Byronism: A Comparative Study of The Prisoner of Chillon and The Symphony of the Dead

The present research compares the phenomenon of Byronism in two outstanding works of literature. After reviewing Lord Byron’s tradition of Byronic Hero, certain features and characteristics seem to be analogous in the characters of the Prisoner and Aydeen . Lord Byron’s Prisoner of Chillon and Abbas Maroufi’s The Symphony of the Dead , portray a world which embodies a variety of turns and twists in the consciousness of the characters as well as in both stories. The two characters, The Prisoner and Aydeen, are assumed to be anti-heroes whose Byronic attributes bring about profoundly prominent effects to the literary tradition since the western concept of heroism has been affecting the eastern definition. Both characters are individuals sophisticated and radical who can be addressed as the lost voices and hopes of their time. Their rebellious perspectives reveal their revolutionary, yet, romantic alienation. They are men whose masculinities and heroism are insignificant due to their image as a type. The journey they embark on is the one which is to explore and discover themselves and the world and people around them. This paper’s aim attempts at elaborating the similitude of the western and the eastern characters in terms of their features and objectives and the manner of them both act in and respond to the condition of their era.

Keywords:

Byronism , individualism , rebellion , heroism , Social contradictions