Byronic Hero Archetype Essay

Throughout the history of the Byronic Hero Archetype, the image and role of the Byronic Hero has changed in order to fit different stories. The biggest change of the Byronic Hero is that the hero itself has repurposed itself to fit a different set of criteria. With Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron, Childe Harold is simply defined by Muriel Mellown, a Gale contributor, as “alternately melancholy and bitter, cynical and resigned, proud and remorseful” which describes the character as one that has substance and is simply at odds with him/herself (Gale). The evolution of the character can be seen throughout time, as during the 19th century with Sydney Carton, a main character in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Sydney’s role in the novel is similar to Childe Harold in how they are both complex characters, but Sydney’s character goes through more of a development throughout his story.

The character change here helps redefine the character archetype as one that goes through great change in order to find his or her true self or to find purpose. A full decade later, the archetype changes, as Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger changes the role of the character once again. Some critics like to dismiss Holden as “purely negative, vulgar, whining, and cynical,” those who truly look into the complexity of the character will find that “he is perceptive, sensitive, creative, and even intelligent in his own way”