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October 12, 2016
ENGL 376
Byron’s Manfred
5:30-6 pm
Byron’s Philosophy
 His expression of what for him is the essential contradiction of human existence:
that man is “Half dust / half deity, unlike unfit / To sink or soaar”
6-7 pm
(1) Manfred and the Byronic hero:
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Manfred is a classic embodiment of the Byronic hero. Describe his qualities, with
references to specific statements and acts.
He differs, however, in some important respects from Harold in CHP III. What are
these differences? Which character is more sympathetic, and why?
As a dramatic poem, Manfred speaks directly, whereas Harold’s thoughts are
relayed to us by the narrator. Does this formal difference matter to our
perception of the characters, and their thoughts? Why do you think Byron uses
the dramatic form, even though the work was one of mental theatre (that is, it is
a psychological drama, meant to be read, not performed)?
(2) Manfred and the Gothic:
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Manfred borrows many of the conventions of the gothic. It is set in a sublime,
Continental setting, in the Alps and Manfred’s castle. How does this setting
inform the themes of the drama?
Many supernatural elements make their appearance in the play. Who are they
and what role do they play? How does Manfred interact with them? Why are
they unable to help him (or why does he refuse their help)? What might their
limited powers suggest?
Like Polidori’s Vampyre, Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Byron’s own “Fragment,”
Manfred was begun during the summer of 1816. How does the invocation of the
supernatural, and revelation of Manfred’s secret sin, connect these works? Why
are these authors concerned with transgressive behaviour, and its costs?
(3) Manfred and Women
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In the drama, we learn that Astarte, a young woman with some close
relationship to Manfred, has died from some cause for which Manfred feels
himself responsible. From the hints that are provided, what do you think the
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nature of their relationship was, and why has Manfred been destroyed by its
aftermath.
Although Manfred appears to be distraught over the consequences of his
relationship with Astarte, is Manfred truly remorseful, or merely narcissistic?
Astarte refuses to absolve him; and says nothing to him except that tomorrow
ends his earthly ills. How are we meant to interpret her silence? Who suffers
whem women are loved/abused/exploited?
How might we relate Astarte’s position, and silence, to women in Emma? Do any
women in the novel share Astarte’s powerlessness/silence? How does Austen
attempt to give these women voice?
7:20-8:30 pm
Blog Workshop
For this workshop, everyone will work in pairs. You will read a blog post of your partner,
and answer the following questions, before having a more general discussiona about
how to revise/improve the post. You will then switch. Time permitting, we will go
through this exercise twice.
1. What is the main focus/argument of the blog post? When is the main idea
instroduced? Is it sufficiently narrow for a 500-word post? If not, how could you
suggest it be narrowed (one possiblity is to narrow the focus itself, or to develop
a more pointed argument; another is to maintain a broader question, but answer
it only in relation to a single character, or scene). Remember, the idea for an
argument is that it is not something that every intelligent reader would have
noticed/agreed upon. There must be a complex, subtle or provocative point the
writer is attempting to make.
2. What is the textual evidence (or evidence from other sources) that is used to
develop the main idea. Is the examination of evidence sustained, or does it move
from point to point? How might the analysis of the evidence be
strengthened/deepened? Are there examples provided that do not prove the
point in question?
3. Are there any sentences that stray from this main focus? How might they be
redirected, or should they be removed?
4. Is the tone of the piece engaging? Does it present a problem and then seek to
answer it in an accessible way? Alternatively, is the post ptiched too low, ie. it
makes points that are well understood by the intelligent reader? How might you
recommend that the post revised to take into account our audience?
5. If the post uses multimedia or hyperlinks, does it do so effectively, to develop
the ideas/arguments/interpretations? Are there suggestions you can make to
improve the integration of multimedia/linking?
With these ideas in mind, time permitting, you will return to one of the in-class blogs
you did, and revise it.
1816 Book Assignments
Student
Audrey
Lauren
Author
Lady Caroline
Lamb
William
Wordsworth
Coleridge
Claire
Mungo Park
Enakshi
Sara Burney
Delores
Deborah Lord Byron
Moe
Lord Byron
Maya
Lord Byron
Title
Glenarvon
CALL #
PR 4859 L9 G54 1993
Thanksgiving ode, January
18, 1816
Christabel: Kubla Khan, a
vision; The pains of sleep
Travels in the interior
districts of Africa
Tales of Fancy
PR 5858 A1 1816.
Lara: a Tale
The Corsair: a Tale
Childe Harold's
pilgrimage: canto the third
PR 4480 C5 1816
DT 356 P3 1816a
http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/ti
nyurl/3kRhi1
PR 4364 A1 1814
PR 4358 A1 1814
PR 4357 A1 1816