After making the real-life connections, readers seem to fully understand the relationship between Manfred and the deceased Astarte. Manfred is wracked with guilt because of something that happened in her lifetime. Manfred begins a quest to reawaken the dead Astarte and request her forgiveness. Manfred s sin, then, has originated from a relationship with Astarte during her lifetime. Manfred s suffering is a result of guilt and sin.
Guilt is a universal emotion.
What Manfred goes through in this poem is representative of what all humans must endure. Guilt, suffering, and pain can lead to profound questions about the nature of our existence. With this in mind, a reader can accompany Manfred on his quest to find the answers to the questions that all good readers have. He represents us all. When readers add a biographical context to this reading, they are left with a text that is less personal.