Comparison Of Victor And The Creature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred” (155). Goodness is all lost when the creature, driven by his desire for revenge, kills those dear to Frankenstein, in which the creation believes will therapeutically heal his personal recounting the pain of the mistreatment over the years. Even in the creation’s acts of kindness towards the family, because of the family’s reaction to the creature, this allows Shelly to reinforce that man is both ‘so virtuous and magnificent’, but also ‘vicious and base’.

When telling Victor everything he experienced the creature says, “Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (138); meaning that all these events he experienced mold him to be wicked and spiteful. Without human interaction, he becomes an actual monster, when he at first only craved company and longed a friend yet all he received was mistreatment and insults. When he saw Victor’s younger brother he thought “I could seize him, and educate him as a companion and friend…” (138), but sadly the boy was prejudice against his looks and insulted him, and shortly reveled he was a Frankenstein and the monster killed him out of spite. This shows the importance of social connections and just having someone to talk to and lean on. In a way, it is societies responsibility to care for the misfortune and treat them with not only respect but with kindness.

The creature murdered many innocent people knowing his in this pursuit of righteousness how it would so harshly effect Victor. “My own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave, and forced to destroy all that was dear to me” (Clemit). The creature as shown, was Victor’s own ugliness created into a horrid being; destroying all that made him happy in the world. “Shelly could be using the monster as a symbol for our own ugliness or the animal side of man’s nature. Although the monster appears to be the cause of fear and prejudice, he might stand for our ugly and violent reaction to something unknown and different” (Skuola.net).

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, we see how revenge can lead to obsession. In Chapters 23 to the end, Victor is so obsessed with getting revenge on the monster for killing Elizabeth and everyone else. His obsession with revenge starts on his wedding night when the monster killed Elizabeth. He then states while talking to the magistrate: “That cannot be; but all that I can say will be little avail. My revenge is of no moment to you: yet, while I allow it to be a vice, I confess that is it the devouring and only passion of my soul.

The temptation of greed ended up killing the three men at the end of the tale. ”The Pardoner's Tale” provides a clear understanding that greed is a sin we all have to battle with in our lives, whereas the moral of the wife of bath's tale applies to people doing bad things. This tale teaches the reader a lesson about greed and how it can overcome people, making them do bad

He threatens Frankenstein by telling him “I may die, but first you” which shows that the creature is not afraid of dying as long as he can inflict as much pain as possible on Frankenstein first (Shelley 123). This alone is a monstrous way to act and it shows that the creature felt compelled to take on the role that society gave him. The consequences of the creature being villainized because of his appearance ended up threatening the lives of Frankenstein and everyone he

“But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation.” (Shelley 2009, p.100). This metaphor expresses the guilt and despair that Victor felt as a result of the murder he committed. “The tortures of the accused did not equal mine…the fangs of remorse tore my bosom and would not forego their hold.” (Shelley 2009, p.96)

The Creature told Frankenstein, “The thought was madness; stirred the fiend within me- not I, but she [Justine Moritz], shall suffer; the murder I have committed because I am forever robbed of all that she could give me, shall atone… I bent over her and placed the portrait securely in one of the folds of her dress”(Shelley 103). The Daemon is the cause of innocent Justine’s death. His placement of the picture caused Justine to be accused of murder even after she loved the helpless William.

However, Victors reckless and unthoughtful actions pushes the monster into a state of rage and hatred that overrides his ability to stop from exacting revenge on Victor. Victor initially creates the monster thinking that it will be an amazing creature, built from the best human body parts Victor could procure. After he views the outcome of his work he is repulsed by it and abandons it, hoping that it would cease to exist. Not only did the monster survive, but it learned to speak, write, and read. After reading the book Paradise Lost, the monster thinks of its own situation and states the following:

I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (42). Shelley uses the words “horror” and “disgust” to express Frankenstein’s regret. At first, Victor “desired” to make the monster with extreme “ardour,” or passion, which consumed him and damaged his “health.” The damage inflicted to Frankenstein is both physical and mental, as his physical “health” is diminished and the “dream vanished,” causing “disgust to fill his heart,” a fact which is only actually true in Victor’s

This shows him being misunderstood as he only wanted to become friends with anybody he could, but he was just assaulted instead. The monster eventually begins to become self-destructive and says he will get revenge on all mankind and he will kill all of Frankenstein 's family, even after he caused the death of four others (122). Eventually, Frankenstein dies and the monster goes to see his dead body. The monster is immediately filled with regret and explains how he is truly sorry for everything that he has done and that he knows there is no way for him to fix all the mistakes he has made (180). He then says that he will end his own life in order to put himself out of his misery.

Furthermore, the theme of light/dark is present in both as in Othello, Iago says that he will turn Desdemona’s king act into something evil and dark. The contrast between light and dark is shown as Desdemona’s good deed is the light and way Iago will portray it to Othello is the dark. Similarly in Frankenstein, the light dark imagery is present, although not as evident, in that the way the creature communicates to Frankenstein is somewhat light, as he is talking in a calm and reasonable manner. The darkness is shown when he threatens Frankenstein with the ultimatum, comply with my demands or he will kill all of Frankenstein’s friends and

Again do I vow vengeance; again do I devote thee miserable fiend, to torture and death. Never will I give up my search, until he or I perish; and then with what ecstasy shall I join my Elizabeth and my pilgrimage”(198). Victor thought about all of this loved ones that the Creature killed as the result of abandonment. Victor and the Creature have a true vengeance for one another. The true source of Victor and the Creature 's animosity is their unparalleled hatred for themselves.

Both the creature and Victor had similarities ; wanting to seek revenge to destroy , was selfish with life the creature thought of himself as ugly saying make him someone as ugly as he is that wouldn’t fear him. Obviously he wasn’t pleased with the way he was made. Victor was selfish because he wanted everything to himself, first he didn’t care what his family thought when he was gone for two years straight without anyone knowing where he was, second when his fiancée died the night of the wedding he recreated life for her and she didn’t want to return back to life instead of giving the creature a helpmeet he brought his fiancée back to life .And third, they both played "God" Victor created life while his creature took life.

Throughout the novel of Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s creation has many similarities of a human being. To start, the creature wants someone to care for him and to be accepted. For example, the creature states, “ you must create a femal for me with whom i can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being.” (Shelly 104) In short, the creature needs attention and compassion.