How A 19th Century Poem Created The Modern Anti-Hero

Introduction. James Bond, Batman, and Nietzsche’s Übermensch can all be traced back to The Corsair (1814). A poem published by Lord Byron this week, 208 years ago. A poem that sold 10,000 copies on the day of launch. And starred a Byronic Hero that shapes culture till today👇🏻

Meet Conrad. A pirate who literally & figuratively lives outside society. He’s a SELF-AWARE outsider:

“He knew himself a villain—but he deemed

The rest no better than the thing he seemed;

And scorned the best as hypocrites who hid

Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.”

The heroes of Ancient Greece & Rome - Kings, warriors - were very much political & cultural insiders. But Batman is a vigilante behind a mask. James Bond exists on the fringes of nation-states. The film-noir PIs work outside of law. Lord Byron’s work amplified this SHIFT.

Conrad is a man of “loneliness and mystery.” He is “famed" and dutifully obeyed. But not understood. A modern anti-hero with “murky” backstory: Don Draper. He switched identities in the war. The Joker explains his scars differently each time. His past is always "undefined."

Something tragic has happened to Conrad in the past. He was “trampled” like a worm. His only hope of fulfillment is his wife. She’s a “ray of beauty” - a “dim and melancholy star” on the black sky that’s his life. Cue Rachel to Batman:

Conrad is a natural leader of men. He “dazzles”, “leads,” & “chills” his followers. Here's what explains their loyalty: “The power of Thought—the magic of the Mind!” Conrad sits at the throne but Byron warns against envy: The leader carries “the weight of splendid CHAINS.”

A high risk-tolerance. Conrad is only at peace in war. Only danger is a “delight.” The future is interesting only if there’s an approaching “fight.” His life isn’t for the “luxurious slaves” who seek “wantonness and ease.” As Sherlock Holmes, a near-perfect Byronic Hero, said:

The Byronic hero has a deep commitment to personal principles. Even though Pasha is going to execute him, Conrad refuses to kill him first as he's sleeping. He believes in heroic warfare, not cowardly subterfuge. The Joker is constantly trying to make Batman break his code:

Here is the Byronic Hero Checklist. 11 Qualities that you will see in the antiheroes of today’s movies, TV shows, and novels:

Nietzsche's Übermensch is THE philosophical successor to the Byronic Hero. Why did Nietzsche create him? In this 2 minute read I go through Thus Spoke Zarathustra to show the precise reason why Nietzsche's prophet is moved to create Superman. Follow me for more!