As 3 March 1812 dawned, 24-year-old Lord Byron had little idea what awaited him. Though the first two cantosSections of a poem. of his poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage had just been published, he had no great hopes for it. But, as he later wrote, "I awoke one morning and found myself famous."

The poem tells of a young man, weary of his reckless life, who wanders across Europe. Harold is widely seen as the first brooding Romantic hero, cursed but deeply attractive, like Edward Cullen in Twilight.

Byron was undoubtedly a great poet. But he owes his fame just as much to his scandalous and heroic life.

George Gordon Byron had a difficult childhood. He was born with a club footWhen a baby is born with a foot or feet that turn inwards. , and was mistreated by his nurse.

But at 10, thanks to a cousin's unexpected death, George became Lord Byron. He was educated at HarrowAn area of London, as well as a public boys school founded in 1572. school and Cambridge University.

He grew into a handsome and popular young man, but gained a reputation for wild living. When he returned from the Grand TourA traditional trip through Europe taken by upper-class European men in the 17th to 19th Centuries when they in their early twenties. he published Childe Harolde's Pilgrimage - and few doubted that the hero was based on himself.

Though his fame as a poet grew swiftly, so did terrible rumours about him. He had an extraordinary number of affairs and was accused of mistreating his wife Annabella. He also ran up enormous debts. In 1816 he felt forced to leave England, and he never returned.

A cause which he cared deeply about was independence for Greece. The country had been part of the Ottoman EmpireAlso known as the Turkish empire, a huge empire that spanned southeast Europe, West Asia and north Africa from the 14th to early 20th Centuries. for nearly 400 years. In 1823 Byron set off to join the Greek freedom fighters, only to die of fever a few months later.

In Greece he is remembered as a hero, with many streets named after him.¹ Though he never fought in a battle, he donated a great deal of money to the rebels. He also played a key part in winning them international support.

Can a villain also be a hero?

Yes: Almost everyone has two sides to them, one admirable and the other less so. Byron's scandalous love life does not make his poetry or his support for Greek independence any less impressive.  

No: A hero is someone who leads a noble life and whose example others strive to follow. Byron's shameful treatment of women means that he is completely unsuited to be a role model and is best forgotten.

Or... Byron deserves our sympathy more than our disapproval. His club foot was a great burden to him and his mistreatment by his nurse obviously accounts for his difficult relationships with women.

Cantos - Sections of a poem.

Club foot - When a baby is born with a foot or feet that turn inwards.

Harrow - An area of London, as well as a public boys school founded in 1572.

Grand Tour - A traditional trip through Europe taken by upper-class European men in the 17th to 19th Centuries when they in their early twenties.

Ottoman Empire - Also known as the Turkish empire, a huge empire that spanned southeast Europe, West Asia and north Africa from the 14th to early 20th Centuries.