A true hero proves his heroism upon being faced with tough challenges. He is expected to be tough, clever, experienced and to be able to handle adversity in a composed manner. In contrast to this, a Byronic hero not only possesses most of these traits, but qualities of what one would consider an anti-hero as well. A Byronic hero is more of a person that does not represent the norms of what one would consider a true hero. Rather than being a hero of action, Byronic heroes are heroes of consciousness. Byronic heroes were first brought upon to literature in the Romantic era and are also seen in many recent works and modern films.
As depicted by Lord Byron, a Byronic hero is, "Byronic Heroes share similar attributes to the Anti-Hero: charismatic characters with strong passions and beliefs who may act in ways which are contrary to mainstream society." (Trope par 1) they act on impulse for what's right in their own minds and don't stand by what the general consensus believes is right. A notable figure in Byron's work is Napoleon, "To Byron, Napoleon represents both a figure of heroic aspiration and someone who has been shamefully mastered by his own passions-both a conqueror and, after Waterloo, a captive: Napoleon thus becomes as much the occasion for psychological analysis as for moral condemnation." (Norton par 2) this furthermore represents the typical Byronic hero who is subject to moral condemnation for their acts on impulse for what they consider is the right thing to do.
A prime example of a Byronic hero during the Romantic era is Prometheus. Since it's one of the first depictions of a Byronic hero and was created by Lord Byron himself. Prometheus falls into the role of being a Byronic hero by defying Zeus and giving the people fire. Due to his actions he is doomed to an eternity of misery, while holding no regrets, and even came to be accustomed to the pain of being set as an outcast.
