Byron and women

Abstract

Women played a dominant role in Byron's life - in fact, they are the subject matter of many of his letters and much of his poetry. His manner towards them was continuously fluctuating for it seems that he loved and hated them at once, and whilst at times he idealised them, he often simply thought of them as sexual objects. In her article 'The Hero as Lover: Byron and Women', Jenni Calder depicts this incongruity clearly by citing one of his letters: 'There is something very softening about the presence of a woman - some strange influence, even if one is not in love with them, - which I cannot at all account for having no very high opinion of the sex. But yet, I always feel in better humour with myself and everything else, if there is a woman within ken'. Still, one can hardly say that Byron's attitude towards women was particularly respectful, however, with some insight into his relationships with some of the women in his life, it is not all that hard to understand why. Indeed, on various occasions he was their victim, for as well as being adored by several, he was also abused, plagued and tormented by a number of them.