Mary Shelley's Frankenstein As A Tragic Hero

A hero is someone who puts others before themselves. Heroic acts can range from small gestures or actions such as saving countless lives. Heroes are known for their outstanding achievements and selflessness. Welles Crowther was a hero because he put other people's lives ahead of his own and sacrificed his life for others..

Do you have to be famous to be a hero? Do you have to have billions of dollars to be a hero? Do you have to have superpowers to be a hero? No, you don’t have to have billions of dollars or superpowers to be a hero. Because a hero is someone who suffers from mental and physical danger or pain even though it could be avoided by trying to be helpful, genuine, inspirational, and selfless.

Heroes in our society are revered and respected as Joseph Campbell reminds us: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Joseph Campbell). Heroes exist in all societies and throughout history. Maybe they are not always on the news or from the movies, but their words and their actions never fail to resonate across their feats. A hero gives of himself and dedicates himself to causes which better others and their society unlike individuals who are self serving, greedy, and cruel.

Glory is the focus of the first part of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Glory is an impersonal relationship where one is held above as superior to many. In the characters Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein we see a perfect example of this pursuit for glory. Both men are compelled to seek

Oftentimes people are too afraid of what people might think to show their full potential. This is not the case for Victor in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. In Frankenstein we see the journey of Victor and his creation as they separately get rejected and misunderstood by society. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein supports Emerson’s ideas of self-reliance because Victor shows that fearless people can achieve greatness.

The book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who struggles to balance his ego which results to his downfall. Victor Frankenstein started as a normal kid from a noble and well off family. He gets interested in studying natural philosophy, alchemy and chemistry. Consequently, Victor creates a monster that later ruins his life and the lives of those around him in the story mostly due to his poor variety of decisions. These facts proves that Victor’s downfall is most likely caused by his failure of balancing his ego by allowing his Id and superego get to him.

Aristotle once said that "A man doesn 't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall" (Carlson). In Frankenstein, many argue that Victor Frankenstein himself is indeed the tragic hero of the novel. I believe that the creation of Victor Frankenstein (the monster) is the actual tragic hero. There are several components to being a tragic hero, two of the most important are their tragic flaw, and the component of a tragedy or a tragic ending to the story. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is without a doubt tragic through many characters in different ways, but in my eyes, the creature is the character that sticks out with the most characteristics of a tragic hero.

Despite some critics statements that the creature Victor created is responsible for the tragedy and destruction that results after the experiment, it is Victor who is accountable because of his fixation

American actor Christopher Reeve once quoted, "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles" (Brainy Quote). Not only did he play a hero as Superman, he truly became one in his personal life. After becoming a quadriplegic Reeve became a spokesperson for people with spinal cord injuries. A hero is a person one admires because of the qualities and selfless actions they exemplify to overcome adversity and inspire others. Heroism is apparent in literature, history, and in our own life. In Suzanne Collins book The Hunger Games, the heroic character of Katniss Everdeen is an example of strength and perseverance against death. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson became a hero when

Hero to me is someone who goes out his way protecting the people, out of will. Hero who is

Throughout history, many pieces of literature have been composed that tell the tales of various heroes and villains. Oftentimes, it is quite clear which characters are heroes and which characters are classified as villains. However, there are also several texts that have characters that can be argued as appearing in either category of characters. Oftentimes, these borderline characters play minor roles in the story line. However, in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, can appear to certain readers as both hero and villain. There are several scenarios throughout the novel that point to Victor Frankenstein as

The monster that Victor Frankenstein created was a Byronic hero. A Byronic Hero is a charismatic, broken, dark individual often in exile with a troubled past. The hero has flaws that make him more human like and attainable to the audience. He is a vulnerable and imperfect being and in these traits we find Victor Frankenstein’s monster. Lord Byron penned the first Byronic hero in 1812 and when Mary Shelly wrote, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,”(1823) she was arguably influenced from his epic poem, “Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.” (1812-1818) Additionally, Shelly was greatly influenced by John Milton’s, “Paradise Lost,” (1667) as evidenced by the correlations between Satan and Frankenstein’s monster. Both characters exhibit traits of having an alluring and attractive nature while simultaneously being frightening and a danger to society. Victor Frankenstein longed to reanimate a living being and in his efforts to do so, he created a monster that will prove Doctor Frankenstein is just as monstrous. In the corpse turned monster, we find the Byronic hero.

In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, there is evidence of a Hero’s Journey. This is

In my opinion, Victor Frankenstein is the hero of Frankenstein. He is a tragic hero and a scientist who is obsessed with creating life from lifeless things. After Victor created the monster, he ran away. After Victor created monster, he wanted to destroy the monster as it felt it needed revenge against his creator. We will focus on three aspects to explain why Victor Frankenstein is the tragic hero of Frankenstein. First, we will discuss how his characteristics fit the definition of tragic hero. Second,

To fit in the role of a tragic hero the character must show heroic actions, have a flaw, have an increase in knowledge, and the audience must have sympathy for them. Many novels include a tragic hero further the plot of the novel or the play. Many tragic heroes do not only have a heroic characteristics, but they can also have villainous characteristics based on what the character considers as heroic. In Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, Shelley illustrates the theme of appearances vs. reality to embody the tragic hero in the creature. Through the use of chaotic imagery, fluid characterization, and critical diction, Shelley comments on how society rejects others based on their appearance therefore themselves creating the monster.