“Corsair” is one of the best works of Lord Byron. This tale is written in the verse and that is why this piece becomes very famous in contemporary time. This poetry was published in the year of 1814 and then also came as poetry in 1818.
When it was first published in England more than a thousand copies were sold just in a day.
Corsair means “Privateer Conrad” that the poet mentioned in the title. The story is telling about Corsair.
This is divided into 3 segments which are being called Canto. These Cantos are very similar to Dante’s Inferno. Even in the beginning readers can find few similarities with it.
Table of Contents
The theme of the Corsair
In this verse, Conrad is the protagonist who is a young man but he is rejected from society because of his actions and words. Then he would be fighting against humanity for the rest of his life. This is the theme of “Corsair”.
The Corsair by Lord Byron Analysis
Here, the protagonist is a pirate. In Canto 1 the poet starts recounting the plan of attacking Pacha Seyd to capture him. But his wife, Medora is determined that she never let Conrad do the attack and she also convinced Conrad.
Though he did not care if her and sails on from his island to Pasha which is also an island. The name of the sea is the Aegean Sea.
In Canto 1 Medira plays a big role. This is of love and as she loves Corsair she does not want to let him do the attack.
“He knew himself a villain-but
he deem’d
The rest no better than the thing
He seem;”
In Canto 2, Lord Byron is explaining the attack. Here, after reaching the island in disguise Conrad with his Companion. They both start assaulting to Pacha Seyd. Here, Conrad comes into the court of Pacha Sayd and then they began to insult him.
Till now their motif goes well according to their plan. Then suddenly Conrad heard a mourning voice and he feels this is if a woman who is crying.
This is a woman who lives in the court of Pacha and Conrad tries the woman to let her free.
“The black Palace, in the capital
City below, the man know as the Patron-
…which might have raised a few eyebrows
In the case of the many female Corsairs.”
So, Conrad becomes diverged from his motif, and in this time pasha made a counterattack to them. So that they could the attackers who were harming to Pacha.
Even they seize Conrad also sends him to the prison for his works. But here the woman whom Conrad helped says that she will attempt to make Conrad free from prison.
So, the second Canto ends here. But the gentleness of Conrad and woman are highlighted very much. They both try to make the other free from the burden.
The third Canto begins with the plan to escape. Here, Gulnare makes a plan of escaping and asks Hoodwink Syed to make Conrad free.
Though this plan does not work and Hoodwink does not help them. Then Pasha comes and threatens to kill Conrad.
After that, Gulnare further conveys to kill Seyd. At that time she hides a knife in her belly. On the other hand, Conrad also does not want to kill Seyd in disguise.
Conrad is being shown as a very crude man with cold blood. And he does not want to kill Seyd without having any fight.
Now, she kills herself with this knife. And afterward, they escaped from the prison in disguise. Then Conrad takes Gulnare to his home.
“Farewell!
For in that word, that fatal word,—howe’er
We promise, hope, believe,—there breathes despair.”
After reaching his he found his wife Medora died because of disappointment and grief. Perhaps she thought that her husband got died and that is why she surrender her life too.
In the last Conrad has been shown that he is living in his own house alone and he never marries Gulnare. The story ends here with a melancholy.
Throughout this tale, Conrad plays the role of a gentle pirate who saves the life of a woman and at last, he lost his wife.
The Corsair Lord Byron Summary
The whole story is divided into three Cantos where each Canto tells a story. In the very first stanzas reader will be able to know that Conrad is not a very well human being.
But after the ending of Canto 1 readers, can found him as a gentleman who saves a woman and that is why he becomes a prisoner. But he never leaves doing his work.
After making himself free from the prison he came back to his house. And here he finds his wife is died because of disappointment.
Characters of Corsair
In this poem, Conrad is the central character who plays the lead role. After that, his wife Medora comes to portray the love for her husband. Pacha Seyd, Gulnare are other characters who take part in the story.
Review of Corsair
Lord Byron’s Corsair is one of his major works. It gets critical attention from the critics though there are no many works that have been done on “Corsair”. But according to the critics, the verse of the poem is fantastic. Still, few works are being critically issued.