By Isabella Gu
He’s tall and dark-haired. He’s moody, mysterious, and carries the impossible weight of a dark past. But why on Earth is he so abnormally good looking? No matter; such details are irrelevant, because you’d never, ever fall for him. Or would you? If you’ve ever subjected yourself to any sort of entertainment, chances are you’ve probably encountered this type of character, especially as their mercurial tendencies morph into a steadfast, tender love for the leading character. At the beginning, you’re annoyed by their callous, frigid regard for the lovable main character, but by the end, you’re desperately hoping they have a beautiful spring wedding. But what changed? Wasn’t he just insulting the main character about twenty pages ago? Byronic heroes are often portrayed and subsequently perceived as romantic, swoon-worthy knights in matte black armor, but it’s time to reassess their questionable behaviors with a new perspective.
A trip back to the past: Byronic heroes are the product of Romantic era poet Lord Byron’s imagination. The heroes closely resemble their creator in temperament and problematic nature, including high intelligence, arrogance, self-destructive tendencies, and heightened emotional sensitivity. Despite the fact that Lord Byron was one of England’s most sensational poets, his personal exploits greatly outpaced his literary ones. Byron’s love life is as “legendary” as his poetic legacy, as it featured a mind-bogglingly extensive series of romances that spanned nearly his entire life. A lot of these romantic…encounters aren’t appropriate for a school newspaper. In a summary, he left behind a trail of broken hearts and debilitating scandals. Many of the romantic tropes commonly associated with his heroes are most likely the result of Lord Byron’s personal experiences, including helpless pining, unattainable love, and heavily restrained affection. Does any of this sound familiar?
When most audiences consume entertainment, they consume it for the sake of a satisfying resolution because there’s comfort in such. However, seeking conflict resolution exclusively results in a lack of a critical eye when viewing content holistically, and consequently, audiences often miss concerning signs of potentially toxic behavior in Byronic characters. A classic example? Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre. When we first meet Mr. Rochester, he essentially gaslights the main character Jane, blaming her for an injury she didn’t cause. Not exactly a meet-cute. But some find it to be a “quirky”, anti-romantic element that adds a touch of individuality to the tale. This isn’t your typical romance! is the argument. Throughout the beginning of the book, Mr. Rochester is impatient with Jane, treats her inferiorly, and frequently manipulates her emotions, resulting in extensive emotional distress for the poor heroine. Yes, perhaps it truly isn’t like all the other romance novels.
But falling in love will fix him, right? No. Even as Mr. Rochester falls in love with Jane, he continues to disregard her emotions by putting her through uncomfortable, traumatizing situations while simultaneously expecting her to cater to all his whims, fulfill him where he is lacking. For example, their wedding. Ah, apologies, Jane, but after witnessing a frightfully violent altercation and experiencing a shocking revelation that upends your entire relationship with Mr. Rochester, you simply must go through with your marriage to him. Because that’s what he wants, and he would be terribly distraught if you decline to do so. Such behavior signifies a concerning, imbalanced power dynamic in a relationship. At least the ending of the book alludes to some promising personality changes in Mr. Rochester. If you’ve never read Jane Eyre, Disney’s The Beauty and the Beast is similar. The Beast, our Byronic hero, suffers from a turbulent past and abuses the heroine, both verbally and emotionally. Both the Beast and Mr. Rochester repeatedly say hurtful things to the protagonist and subject them to overwhelming situations, all while expecting unconditional, unfailing support.
The issue is jointly the problematic behavior of Byronic heroes and the passivity of the audience; audiences often sweep these toxic behaviors under the rug because at least they fall in disgustingly passionate love…and love fixes everything…right? People believe that the love that blossoms between the Byronic hero and his love interest will undo the damage he previously inflicted, and in the future, he will never exhibit any of the hurtful behaviors from the beginning of the plot because, you know, he’s in love. Unfortunately, romance cannot erase the pain of the past, and the Byronic hero’s failure to address the emotional hurt they inflict on others is inexcusable. The image of the Byronic hero is, at its core, abusive and toxic. It’s time to see that the Byronic hero is no hero.
