Before you watch
0:00 – 6:08 · Unit 5, Video 1
You are going to watch a video about the Byronic hero — a character archetype that has shaped literature, film and video games for two centuries. Read all the questions carefully before pressing play.
⏱ Watch from 0:00 to 6:08 only.
1
Fill in the blanks
0:00 – 0:39
Complete the quotation from the video with the missing words.
Edward Cullen, Han Solo, Killmonger, Lestat. What do all these
have in common besides being heartthrobs? They share a
ancestor: the Byronic hero. Brooding, sensual, violent, a little too single-, the Byronic hero has been a
in literature dating back to the 19th century. But the
is all over film, TV and even video games. I see you, Cloud Strife, all sad and angsty with your giant sword. Clocked!
But what does it to be a Byronic hero? And who was the man that helped create this archetype? Let's get into the myth, the man and the literary .
But what does it to be a Byronic hero? And who was the man that helped create this archetype? Let's get into the myth, the man and the literary .
2
Multiple choice
1:25 – 2:15
Choose the correct answer for each question.
The Byronic hero is really…
Lord Byron was born into a rich, loving and supportive family.
Lord Byron exercised a lot and…
3
In your own words
Peter L. Thorslev says that the Byronic hero "is a Romantic rebel. He chooses his values in open defiance of the codes of society." What does this mean? Can you find an example from a film you have seen or a book you have read?
💡 There is no single right answer — focus on expressing your idea clearly.
4
Caroline Lamb
2:15 – 3:00
Répondez en français
Que s'est-il passé entre Lord Byron et Caroline Lamb ?
Que s'est-il passé entre Lord Byron et Caroline Lamb ?
💡 Décrivez leur relation en 2 ou 3 phrases.
5
Two kinds of Byronic heroes
3:35 – 5:08
Write down the adjectives and examples given in the video to distinguish the two types.
Write down the words and names you hear — there are no trick questions here.
🦇 Gothic
Adjectives / descriptions
Character examples
🌹 Romantic (19th c.)
Adjectives / descriptions
Character examples
Model answers (check after watching)
Gothic: dark, hopeless, tormented — Victor Frankenstein, Captain Ahab, Erik (Phantom of the Opera), Edmond Dantès, Megamind
Romantic: solitary, monstrous/dark appearance but alluring personality — Rochester (Jane Eyre), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
Gothic: dark, hopeless, tormented — Victor Frankenstein, Captain Ahab, Erik (Phantom of the Opera), Edmond Dantès, Megamind
Romantic: solitary, monstrous/dark appearance but alluring personality — Rochester (Jane Eyre), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
6
The "moral grey" area
5:08 – 5:45
Vous pouvez répondre en français
Why does the speaker say that the Byronic hero inhabits a "moral grey" area?
Why does the speaker say that the Byronic hero inhabits a "moral grey" area?
Activity complete!
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out of 11 checked answers