A Study Of Byron's Romantic Orientalism

This thesis aims to make an exploration of Byron's Romantic Orientalism with its central argument that towards the East, Byron bears a contradicotry attitude. Observing an order from the superficial layer to the deeper one, the thesis gradually unfolds the panorama of Byron's Romantic Orientalism.This thesis is divided into four parts: in the first part, Byron's infatuation with the East is discussed. The talk here is subdivided into four aspects: a rising popularity of the Orient in England, Byron's Oriental reading and traveling, his Orientalized living habits and productive Oriental works. The four aspects combine to become a base for Byron's Romantic Orientalism. In the second part, Oriental elements in Byron's Romantic Orientalism are elucidated. Oriental elements in Byron's works are abundant and here the thesis gives three aspects to talk about- Byron's Oriental customs, Oriental characters, and Oriental scenes. Different from other writers Romantic Orientalism, the Orientalism of Byron is saturated with proficiency and authenticity. After the talk, we can preliminarily understand Byron's Romantic Orientalism. Following this, the significance in Byron's Romantic Orientalism is explored; it implies Byron's spirit and psychology. In the deeper analysis, Byron's Romantic Orientalism can be further understood. The final part contains the leading argument of this thesis. After the talk of Byron's Oriental elements and his spirit, the thesis puts emphasis on the speculation of Byron's attitude towards the East. And the attitude is that in his Romantic Orientalism Byron retains a contradictory sense: the superior sense over the East as well as his preference to that area co-exist in Byron and his Oriental works.