Expecting Manfred to adhere to any character type, whether it be that of an archetype or a genre, would be an exceptional amnesia that forgets or ignores both the character's and his author's confrontational love of paradox. While Manfred and his situation epitomize the Gothic villain-hero in some almost too obvious ways, especially in comparison to Walpole's Manfred and Lewis's Ambrosio, he provides no better an exact match for these characters than he does for more archetypal characters as Milton's Satan, anyone's Faust(us), or Prometheus. Not unlike Manfred's attraction to and relation with the various metaphysical characters of the dramatic poem, the character's relationship with his literary linage is as tenuous as it is undeniable. Byron's Manfred shares characteristics with the Romantic and with the Gothic heroes, but his ambition is not to save humanity or to gain earthly pleasure but to assert his will despite incredible attempts to dominate it.
Manfred deviates from the heroic ideal enough to warrant questions as to whether he is a hero at all. He is the drama's main character and he does experience the prescribed changes, but he stands in stark contrast with other Romantic and Classical heroes. Because of the characters' defiance and because of Byron's own poem on the subject, Manfred invites comparison with Prometheus, associations that seem at least at first to provide more contrasts than comparisons. Prometheus sacrifices Olympic comfort for humanity and earns Christ-like imagery in Shelley's play where Panthea describes Prometheus's circumstance as "[a] wo[e]ful sight: a youth / [w]ith patient looks nailed to a crucifix" (I.i.586). In this play, Prometheus is humanity's savior and is called the "Champion of Heaven's slaves" by the Third Fury (I.i.542). Prometheus sacrifices himself for the humanity of which Manfred admits to being a part but to which he sees himself as an outsider and possibly as superior. Manfred tells the Chamois Hunter that patience is for "mortals of a dust like...[the hunter's]," but Manfred claims to be "not of...[the hunter's] order" (II.i.37-38). As McVeigh says, Manfred's curse, not unlike Cain's mark, sets him apart from humanity, making him both better and worse than Everyman (604 and 606). This egotism, which may cause the narcissistic relationship Manfred forms with Astarte whose features are so much like his (II.ii.104-115), is part of the indomitable will that also aligns Manfred with the classical archetype.
While Shelley's later play focus's primarily on the peace Prometheus feels while
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