The Romantic Hero

1
The Romantic Hero
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5 Is of Romanticism

• Imagination
• Intuition
• Innocence
• Inner Experience
• Inspiration

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Nationalism

• Sense of cultural and political unity
• Brothers Grimm (1812-1815)
• Good and Bad aspects

4
Thomas Carlyle

• 1795-1881
• On Heroes and Hero Worship (1841)
• Starts the scholarly concept of the Romantic hero.

5
Literatures Affect

• Novel increase in literacy
• Popularity in own time
• Tradition of realism
• Inspiration from various sources

6
Sir Walter Scott

• 1771-1832
• Scottish native
• Tolerance
• Ivanhoe (1819)
• Rob Roy (1817)

7
Alexandre Dumas

• 1802-1870
• Action packed life
• The Count of Monte Cristo (1844-5)
• The Three Musketeers (1844)

8
Victor Hugo

• 1802-1885
• Rich lyrical style
• Romantic style with a social conscience
• Le Miserables (1862)

9
Charles Dickens

• 1812-1870
• Popular in lifetime and popular today
• Campaigner against social injustice

10
Romantic Heroes in America
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Nathaniel Hawthorne

• 1804-1864
• Explores hidden motivations in his characters
• The Scarlet Letter (1850)

12
Herman Melville

• 1819-1891
• International recognition for Moby Dick (1851)
• Moral strength verse Evil

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Real Life Romantic Heroes

• Big ego
• Experience life fully
• Non conformists
• Extraordinary Achievements
• Die young

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Shaka

• 1787-1828
• Warrior and King
• Military Changes
• Conservationist

15
Simon Bolivar

• 1783-1830
• South American general
• Wrote the constitution for Bolivia

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Napoleon

• 1769-1821
• First Romantic Hero from Europe and First
  Dictator from Europe
• Ended French Revolution

17
Promethean Hero

• Story of Prometheus
• Champion of liberty and suffering of humanity
• Poets embrace this figure

18
Lord Byron, George Gordon

• 1788-1824
• Dedicated to pleasures of the senses
• Aided Greeks
• Bouts of creativity and passion
• Byronic hero

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Alexander Pushkin

• 1799-1837
• Russian Nationalist
• Biography
• Byron of Russia

20
Frederick Douglas

• 1817-1895
• Leading anti-slavery spokesperson
• Escaped from slavery to become an advocate
• It was slavery I hated . . . Feeding and
  clothing me could not atone for taking my Liberty
  away

21
Harriet Beecher Stowe

• 1811-1896
• Uncle Toms Cabin (1850)
• Her description of slavery ignited conversation

22
Sojourner Truth

• 1797-1883
• Born as Isabella Baumfree
• Feminist and abolitionist

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Turner Rebellion

• 1828
• Nat Turner
• Visions a confession