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Lindsay's co-host Princess Weekes presents an in depth look on the classically sexy literary trope!

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The Byronic Hero: Isn’t it Byronic? | It’s Lit

For more It’s Lit, subscribe to Storied: http://bit.ly/pbsstoried_sub Edward Cullen. Han Solo. Killmoklknger. Lestat. What do all these characters have in common besides being heartthrobs? They share a common ancestor: the Byronic Hero. Brooding, sensual, violent, intelligent, and single-minded, the Byronic hero has been a staple in literature dating back to the 19th century, but the archetype is all over film, TV and even video games. I see you Cloud Strife, all sad and angsty with your giant sword. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres and why we love to read. It’s Lit has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Hosted and Written by: Princess Weekes Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Producer: Stephanie Noone Editors: Derek Borsheim, Sara Roma Writing Consultants: Maia Krause Executive Producer (PBS): Adam Dylewski Editorial Producer (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/itslitpbs https://twitter.com/thelindsayellis https://twitter.com/weekesprincess Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/itslit_pbs/

Comments

Anonymous

We need a Lord Byron biopic. Look at his first GIS result and tell me Theo James wouldn't be PERFECT.

Anonymous

Princess rocking that cameo. It's interesting because this means Byron was twice depicted as a vampiric figure in works of fiction written by probably jilted lovers; a fact I only know because I had Elisa to do the reading for me.

Anonymous

My favorite Byronic hero: Loki!

Anonymous

I'm so happy you mentioned Ada Lovelace in your video! :D

Shiny Skunk

this video finally got me to follow Princess's channel and like... damn how did I let myself miss out on her for so long. she's great.

Anonymous

How did Lindsay resist jumping into The Phantom of the Opera segment?

Anonymous

"I'm losing to a bird" makes a comeback!

bewitchedfencer

That was so interesting!! The part about women going from dying to being "happy" with their captors was pretty gross.

JtheFool

In my opinion, this is why channels like Linday's excel and ones like Tamara's Never Seen seem to sputter around the same numbers and reach month after month. It's not enough to just have some pleasant face and moving pictures. Telling us whether or not you thought some piece of fiction was "good" or you personally enjoyed it is only a step from a Reaction Video, and I am much more enriched by someone's Reasoning than by their mere Reacts. There are reviewers whose work contains the style and structure of analysis, but with no actual breakdown and analysis.

Anonymous

So... does having a Byronic hero as main character == bad writing?

JtheFool

Was it "bad" when Charlie Chaplin played a dictator? I think he used the role as vox anima to causes he cared about. I think it depends on the tone and framing. Are there Byronic traits shown as desirable and correct, or worthy of consequence?

Anonymous

Watching this I started thinking that Olivia Benson has quite a few Byronic characteristics. And then I figured Eliot Stabler has his own Byronic shit going on... and that these two characters complete each other as a full Byronic hero. My mind is blown.

Anonymous

Is the beast in beauty and the beast a byronic hero? He predates Byron by about half a century. I wonder what examples there are of this romantic anti-hero before Byron. Is it simply named after him because he was such a prominent brooding bad boy? I'm not sure its fair to say he was the first or the start of the trope. Was he?

VW

Lovely video, really enjoyed it 👍

Anonymous

Dude same. I've been binging her videos for 2 days. Came for It's Lit, stayed for She-ra lol

Anonymous

JD Robb’s In Death heroine, Eve Dallas, is a Byronic hero who manages to have a happily ever present (it’s a series, so we don’t know her ending) with a hot as fuck billionaire husband (also a hard scrabble backstory) who is madly in love with her and is her rock of emotional stability when her tragic backstory comes back to the fore. In each of the books, Eve exhibits many Byronic characteristics and is kind of an asshole yet always saves the damsel (or lad), gets the bad guys, and shows emotional growth and psychological healing. It’s awesome. JD Robb is a pseudonym for one of the romance genre’s most prolific and legendary authors, Nora Roberts. SOOOOO many Byronic heroes in current romance literature of ALL sub-genres. Mobster, biker gang, alien abduction, high school, sports, etc. If you like this dynamic, check out the romance novel section in your library!

Anonymous

I went to YouTube to comment (I figure that Lindsey's co-host doesn't see these comments) but realized there were already hundreds of comments... it is funny how social media creates the "illusion of access". As in: "Wow! I can direct-message Tom Cruise!" Well... yes and no.......