Manfred - A Dramatic Poem

This is a classic piece of Gothic fiction. Manfred: Dramatic poetry is a hidden play created by Lord Byron. It had supernatural elements, which reflected the popularity of ghost stories in England at the time. Manfred, a Faustian lord who lives in the Bernese Alps, is the protagonist of the narrative. Tormented inwardly by an unfathomable guilt stemming from the murder of his most cherished lover, Astarte, he employs his skill of words and creates spells to call seven ghosts from whom he seeks the solution. The spirits that govern the different elements of the physical universe have no influence over previous occurrences and hence cannot grant Manfred's desire. For a while, fate kept him from committing suicide to escape his guilt.