Summary:
Analyzes Lord Bryon's poem Manfred. Details how Manfred, the main character, is starving for love after the death of his sister. Discusses key passages from the poem.
Lord Byron's Manfred is a dramatic poem that can be interpreted in many ways. Manfred is clearly distraught throughout the play, and it appears to be because of the death of his sister and lover Astarte. It is only hinted, which allows the reader to imagine how Manfred is really reacting, down to his emotions and facial expressions. In Act 2, Scene 2, Manfred makes his most revealing statement. He has spoken to many different supernatural creatures since the beginning of the play. In the middle of scene 2, he decides to summon a witch. As he is speaking to her, he gives the audience the background to this situation. He explains how he grew up feeling alone and that he found joy in the wilderness. He was insecure because he has supernatural powers. When he was among the mountains and rivers, he felt more human. He tells the witch there was only one woman he could relate to, and that he loved her. This woman is also the source of all his anguish, "the core of [his] heart's grief" (99).
The way I interpret this play, Manfred is an individual who is starving for love. When his sister Astarte showed him care, he got carried away with her affection. Their love escalated into something Astarte could not handle and she committed suicide. Tragically it seems like Manfred loved Astarte more than she loved him. When he begs her to profess her love, she responds "Farewell...Farewell!" (153-155). She does not respond in a way that shows feelings for him at all.
In Act 2, Scene 2, Manfred has already talked to many creatures searching for Astarte. He wants to see her once more and that one thought is consuming his mind. His speech (lines 49-96) expresses a grieving mood. He uses dark imagery like "I had no sympathy with breathing flesh" (57). He shows classic symptoms of depression and doesn't hide it. This speech also shows a sort of relief. The witch is actually listening to him and making him talk about his feelings. This helps Manfred a lot more than the Chamois Hunter or the seven spirits did. By the end he is able to state what is causing his sorrow and admit that he has some responsibility in his lover's death.
This poem shows many signs of fitting in with the Romantic period. One example is how Manfred denies any help the Abbot wants to give him. The abbot suggests that Manfred have his sins forgiven in order to find peace within the church. Manfred doesn't seem to care about this authority figure and what he has to offer. He wishes to find the solution on his own. Romantics believed the human mind is more important than the exterior. Also they were not into authority that imposed on someone. Both of these are helpful in understanding the scene with the Abbot.
If I were directing this play, I think it would best be done as a movie, rather than on stage. One reason this would be helpful is that the spirits, witches, and phantoms would look more fantastical. In the first scene, the spirits would fly in around Manfred, with colors swirling and appear more magical. As for the scene I chose, Manfred and the witch would be speaking outside, as the stage directions say - a lower Valley in the Alps. The scene is beautiful but eerie as well, as the sun is falling below the horizon. Right before Manfred's long speech, the witch and Manfred seems to be struggling with the idea of sharing his darkest thought with the witch. She continues to prod him in a subtle, motherly way. I imagine him having a calm and relaxed manner as he is talking about Astarte. As anyone, it makes him happy thinking about it. When he comes to the telling of her tragic end, he becomes infuriated with himself. Even though he didn't kill her physically, Manfred admits that he killed her with his heart.
Another interesting aspect of their relationship that is apparent in the passage is that, Manfred loved Astarte because she was like him. There are many implications to this. First of all, this passage is part of the proof that Astarte is Manfred's sister. It does make sense that the only person that can relate to Manfred "was like [him] in lineaments - her eyes, her hair, her features, all" (105-106). She was like him in personality and her quest to understand the world. One thing that is obvious from this dramatic poem is that falling in love with someone that is like you is very destructive. This shows how Manfred was egotistic. If you love someone that is exactly like you, you would have to be in love with yourself. It seems like Manfred causes the entire situation by being controlling. He wanted someone that loved him and understood him. The only person that existed and fit these criteria was Astarte. He probably forced Astarte in to giving him more than she wanted to. She couldn't live with herself after this. So in effect, Manfred causes her death. A murderer usually feels guilty after committing the horrible act. Manfred is distraught with grief the entire play. All he wants is to be judged by his victim: guilty, not guilty. That way the roller coaster going on in his head can stop.
After Manfred opens up to the witch, she changes tone. She yells at him for despising his supernatural powers which he hinted at in his story. He hated his abilities because he couldn't relate to humans. In anger, the witch tells him to go away and keep hoping for mortality. This part would best be acted out in a physical struggle. As the witch hits Manfred, he tried to grab her and shake some sense in to her. He tells her that he has consulted supernatural beings for help with his powers. Manfred has accepted that he is supernatural, but he does no want to "dwell in [his] despair" (148-149). The witch finally gives in to his pleading.
Later Manfred will become confused and not sure of what he wants. But here he says he wants to witch to "wake the dead of lay me low with them" (153). He wishes more than anything for Astarte to be summoned into a ghost form on Earth, so he would be able to speak with her, either that, or to be mortal and die. As he is saying this, Manfred would be tense and have confidence in his voice.
Throughout this passage, Manfred switches from a calm recollection to a desperate pleading for aid from the witch. The witch is intelligent, as she got Manfred to say what he wanted. In this scene there would not too much action. Only the witch and Manfred would be talking while they are sitting on some rocks in the Valley. When Manfred becomes angry, they do interact forcefully. One technique that would be used in the filming is flashback. As Manfred talks about his past and falling in love with Asarte, it would be helpful to show scenes of him in the wilderness and with Astarte. Then finally when it is hinted that Astarte committed suicide, a glimpse of her body would have an impact on the audience. This would also demonstrate my interpretation of the play well.
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