Manfred
by Lord Byron
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1817
- Form
- Drama
- Language
- English
- Length
- Short · 60 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendLord Byron, The Major WorksOxford World's Classics, 2008Jerome McGann's one-volume selection includes Manfred, The Prisoner of Chillon and most of what students need.
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A dramatic poem in three acts set in the Alps. Manfred, a nobleman and magician tormented by guilt over the death of his beloved Astarte, summons spirits and asks only for forgetfulness, which they cannot give. He refuses to throw himself from a cliff, defies the spirit Arimanes in his hall, sees Astarte's phantom, who tells him he will die the next day, and rejects a chaplain's offer of repentance. When demons come for his soul, he sends them away and dies on his own terms.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Manfred are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
