The Corsair

George Gordon, Lord Byron

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The Corsair (1814) by Lord Byron narrates the tale of Conrad, a pirate or privateer, who was rejected by society in his youth because of his acts and his later war against humanity. Conrad attacks the island fortress of Pacha Seyd to try to seize his possessions but is captured while trying to rescue women from the pasha's harem. Gulnare, the pasha's slave, initiates a plan to trick Seyd into freeing Conrad but when this fails she kills Seyd and they both escape. Conrad takes Gulnare back to his island home where he discovers that his wife Medora has died from grief. Conrad departs the island alone without Gulnare.
"He left a Corsair's name to other times, Linked with one virtue and a thousand crimes"

This poem, which was one of Byron's most popular selling 10,000 copies on its day of publication, created the figure of the Byronic Hero, "a man of loneliness and mystery who perceives himself a villain or anti-hero".

(Summary by Alan Mapstone and Wikipedia) (2 hr 4 min)

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