搜索
AcomparativestudyonByronicHeroandBritishPirates:ConradandSparrowAbstract:TheGreatBritainhasalwaysbeenaseafaringnation.AfterthecrushingofInvincibleArmadaofSpain,thecountrytookovertheseaandevolvedintoanempireonocean.Whenitcomestovoyage,peoplewillthinkofpirates.Asamatteroffact,there’replentyofliteraryworksconcerningpiratesinBritishliteraturehistory,includingTheCorsairandTreasureIsland;meanwhile,somepopularfilmsandnovelsarebearonpirates,likePiratesoftheCaribbean.InByron’sworks,charactershavedistinctiveimagesandcriticsnamethem“ByronicHeroes”,whichhasadeepinfluenceonlaterliteratureworks.ThispaperanalysesthesimilarityanddifferencesontwotypicalcharactersCorsairConradandJackSparrowfromTheCorsairandPiratesoftheCaribbeanandexplorestheinfluenceoftheartisticimage“Byronichero”onlaterworksofliteraryandcinematic.Keywords:Pirates,Conrad,JackSparrow,ByronicheroAcomparativestudyonBritishPirates:CorsairConradandJackSparrow1.Introduction1.1AnIntroductiontoTheCorsairand“ByronicHero”.1.1.1GeorgeGordonByronandtheVerseTheCorsairLordByronisregardedasoneofthegreatestBritishpoets.Andheremainswidelyreadandinfluentialincontemporarytimes.HetravelledalloverEuropeespeciallyinItalywherehelivedforsevenyearsandthenjoinedtheGreekWarofIndependencefightingtheOttomanEmpire,forwhichGreeksreverehimasanationalhero.Hediedatage36fromafevercontracted.ByronisoftendescribedasthemostflamboyantandnotoriousofhisRomantics.Helivedacelebratedlifebutalsocastigatedinlifeforhisaristocraticlifestyle,includinghugedebts,numerousloveaffairswithmorethanonegenderandrumorsofaffectionwithhishalf-sister.Byron’simageasthepersonificationoftheByronicherofascinatedthepublic.HiswifeAnnabellacoinedthetermByromaniatorefertothecommotionsurroundinghim.(OnthetrailoftherealLordByron,P3)TheCorsairisataleinversebyLordByronpublishedin1814,whichwasextremelypopularandinfluentialinitsday.Itsoldtenthousandcopiesonitsfirstdayofsaleandremainspopularincontemporarytime.Thepoetryisdividedintocantos,anditnarratesthestoryofthepirate,corsairConrad.Thestorytellshowhewasinhisyouthrejectedbysocietyandhislaterfightagainsthumanity.Thepoemalsohasgoodfemalecharactersanditwasnotacommonwayofwritingatthattime.InthistalethefigureofByronicheroispresentedbythepointofviewofthepeople.1.1.2“ByronicHero”TheByronicheroistheimageoftheRomanticheroasatypeofcharacter,namedaftertheEnglishRomanticpoetLordByron.BothByron'slifeandwritingswereconsideredtoembodyit.TheByronicherofirstappearsinByron'ssemi-autobiographicalepicnarrativepoemChildeHarold'sPilgrimage,andwasdescribedbythehistorianLordMacaulayasamanproud,moody,cynical,withdefianceonhisbrow,andmiseryinhisheart,ascornerofhiskind,implacableinrevenge,yetcapableofdeepandstrongaffection.(RomanticAffinities:PortraitsFromanAge,P201)Specificallyspeaking,ByronicHeroreferstoaseriesimageoftherebelswithindividualisminByron’sworksespeciallyintheOrientalNarrativePoem,whicharebrandedonideasofByron'spersonality.Theserebelsareoutstandingbutstanduptostruggleagainstthepowerofthecountry,thesocialorderandreligiousmoralforpersonalreasons,whosestrugglewithoutclearpurposes.Theyhavethepursuitofindividualfreedombutoftenshutthemselvesinthelonelinessandpride,alwaysstrugglingbutendedinfailure.Consideringhumansorrow,theyareallenthusiastic,brave,strong,proudandlonely.Theydonothesitatetofightthefate,butfinallyendedinfailureandevendeath.Theyarealltragicaloofrebelwithexcellenttalentandgreatpower,whohavingnochancetoputtogooduseinthecorruptsociety.Forwastingtheirtalentsandthefeelings,theyfeelindespairandfeelpainfulfortheirinaction.TheByronicheropresentsanidealized,butflawedcharacterwhoseattributesinclude:greattalent;greatpassion;adistasteforsocietyandsocialinstitutions;alackofrespectforrankandprivilege(althoughpossessingboth);beingthwartedinlovebysocialconstraintordeath;rebellion;exile;anunsavorysecretpast;arrogance;overconfidenceorlackofforesight;and,ultimately,aself-destructivemanner.Thesetypesofcharactershavesincebecomeubiquitousinliteratureandpolitics.ThefigureoftheByronicheroispervasiveinmuchofByron’swork.LikeConradinTheCorsair,HaroldinChildHarold'sPilgrimageandManfredinManfred.“ScholarshavetracedtheliteraryhistoryoftheByronicherofromJohnMilton,andmanyauthorsandartistsoftheRomanticmovementshowByron'sinfluenceduringthe19thcenturyandbeyond,includingCharlotteandEmilyBrontë.”(RomanticAffinities:PortraitsFromanAge,P203)1.2AnIntroductiontotheFilmPiratesoftheCaribbeanPiratesoftheCaribbeanarefilmseriesoffantasyandhighboxoffice.TheyareproducedbyJerryBruckheimerandbasedonWaltDisney'sthemeparkrideofthesamename.ItisalsoaWaltDisneyCompanyfranchisethemeparkattractions,andspin-offnovelsaswellasnumerousvideogamesandothermediapublications.ThefranchiseoriginatedwiththePiratesoftheCaribbeanthemerideattraction,whichopenedatDisneylandin1967,thelastDisneythemeparkattractionoverseenbyWaltDisney.Disneybasedtherideonpiratelegendsandfolklore.AsofAugust2006,PiratesoftheCaribbeanattractionscanbefoundatfourDisneythemeparks.TheirrelatedfilmshavegrossedalmostUS$5.4billionworldwideasof2013.Thefilmsarestoriesfollowingtheadventures