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Characteristics Of Victor A Hero In Frankenstein

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In the book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, there is someone that fits many traits of a hero, even though he hasn’t done many good actions. This person is an almost perfect epitome of the classic definition of an epic hero. He fits many of the traits needed to be considered as a hero and acts arbitrary to what a hero is today. In the book, Victor is the obvious choice for the position. Even though he doesn’t have the attitude or personality of a hero, he has symbolic traits that decipher him from the creature. The creature is the complete opposite of Victor and makes every move based on impulse. Based on this, Victor is the hero in this story because of his passion to improve the world. A question arises from the midst of this topic about heroes; what is a hero? A hero defines as a person who is admired or idealized for noble qualities. This relates back to Victor because a ‘noble quality’ that is transparent in him is the ability to persevere through anything. For instance, characteristics of a hero include a noble birth, has one tragic flaw, travels over a vast setting, has humility, and faces supernatural foes. Above all, he fits all of these in a few ways. Victor is born into the …show more content…

The creature is the opposing side to Victor because he makes many impulsive decisions. Even though Victor has also been impulsive, his decisions are supposed to help for the greater good, while the creature’s actions are based purely on selfishness and self pity. Likewise, even after the creature starts terrorizing Victor, he still drudges on and made decisions to protect his community. “ “I do refuse it,” I replied; “ and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me… I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent” (Shelley 104). This quote from the book shows how Victor suffers immensely without giving in to the creature’s desires. He perseveres through many pains because of his one

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