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Victor Frankenstein: A Tragic Hero or Not?
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Victor Frankenstein: A Tragic Hero or Not?
Zoe McGuirk
11/16/2020
What is a tragic hero?
Person who...
- Commits errors in judgment, leading to their downfall!
The Tragic Hero
A cliche tragic hero:
Snape, from Harry Potter, experiences moral decay and makes poor decisions, but eventually returns to his moral high-ground.
Example
Hubris: excessive pride
Victor created his 'monster' out of greed and a lust for pride. After creating him, Victor was disgusted and neglected him so as not to damage his image. Victor also refused to alert the authorities or his loved ones.
Hubris
“So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein-- more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (Shelley 42).
Quote
Hamartia: tragic error
of judgment
Hamartia
Victor’s life is a series of missteps which eventually result in his downfall. He was so arrogant that he believed he could fill the role of God.
"I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health… Unable to endure the aspect of the being, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep" (Shelley 43-44).
Quote
Peripeteia: a reversal of fate due to Hamartia
Peripeteia
Victor’s serious lack of judgement throughout the novel ultimately changed the fate of his and his loved one’s lives for the worse.
“The murderous mark of the fiend’s grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips” (Shelley, 173).
Anagnorisis: a moment when the hero realizes the cause of his/her downfall
Anagnorisis
An example was when Victor received a letter from his father revealing the news that William was murdered. Victor’ assumed the monster of being the culprit, thus acknowledging the cause behind his downfall for the first time this far.
"I could hardly sustain the multitude of feelings that crowded into my mind... a thousand nameless evils made me tremble, although I was unable to define them" (Shelley, 66-67).
Quote
Nemesis: an unavoidable consequence (often due to Hubris)
Nemesis
Instances of nemesis occur all throughout this story, almost defining it. All of the deaths of Victor’s loved ones are examples of nemesis. Victor neglected his creation because of his extreme pride and ego, so the murders were the consequences.
“His delight was in misery and carnage... my own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave, and forced to destroy all that was dear to me" (Shelley, 69).
Quote
Catharsis: the feeling of fear and pity that the downfall evokes in the audience
By the end of the novel, the reader almost feels pity for Victor and fear that they too could suffer the consequences of Hubris. Walton heeds this same lesson, acting almost like the reader of the novel.
Catharsis
Quote
“Sometimes seized with sudden agony, he could not continue his tale; at others, his voice broken, yet piercing, uttered with difficulty the words so replete with anguish. His fine and lovely eyes were now lighted up with indignation, now subdued to downcast sorrow, and quenched in infinite wretchedness” (Shelley, 185).
So... is Frankenstein a Tragic Hero?
Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein meets all of the criteria to be considered a tragic hero. Victor’s destruction was both internal and external and almost entirely caused by himself. His nature and his actions led directly to not only his demise, but the demise of everyone around him. Victor Frankenstein is a tragic hero.
“File:Frankenstein, pg 7.jpg.” Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankenstein,_pg_7.jpg. Accessed 18 November 2020.
“File:Frankenstein's monster (Boris Karloff).jpg.” Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankenstein%27s_monster_(Boris_Karloff).jpg. Accessed 18 November 2020.
Hauser, Tim. “Snape Was Looking Out For Harry Potter From The Start, But You Probably Didn't Notice.” Guff.com, 2017, https://guff.com/snape-was-looking-out-for-harry-potter-from-the-start-but-you-probably-didnt-notice. Accessed 18 November 2020.
“Icarus.” Wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus. Accessed 18 November 2020.
Shelley, Mary, et al. Frankenstein. New York, Barnes & Noble, 2003.