preview

Archetypes In Frankenstein

Decent Essays

Victor Frankenstein, in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, portrays both a Byronic hero and a tragic hero. Characteristics of both of these types of hero archetypes shape Victor by depicting him as a victim, despite the fact that he created the monster, and these characteristics shape the themes of the novel. Victor has characteristics of a Byronic hero, which shapes his character and the themes. A Byronic hero is a “melancholy and rebellious young man, distressed by a terrible wrong he committed in the past” (The Definition of Byronic Hero). Victor is clearly troubled from creating the monster, as seen in:“his stature…exceed that of a man. I was troubled; a mist came over my eyes, and I felt a faintness seize me” (Shelly 93). The way Victor …show more content…

Theses qualities portray Victor as the victim and innocent, which is ironic since he created the monster which caused all the destruction and terror. Victor portraying himself as a victim caused all of the tragedies to occur fairly quickly, because he could have gone to authorities earlier and they might have treated him differently. The “victim” act brings up the complexity of the relationship between Victor and the creature; since he created the monster he should be in control of the relationship, yet the monster is in control and powerful since Victor is innocent. Victor is not a victim of the creature, but a victim of fate and free will, yet Victor refuses to believe that he had any decision in this matter and blames it all on fate. These qualities also call attention to the theme of parenting—since the creature upsets Victor and he refuses to take care of it—and how the lack of parental influence can cause somebody to make bad decisions. This again brings attention to the paradoxical relationship between the creature and Frankenstein, since the creature is more powerful than the creator. Byronic and tragic hero characteristics combine in Frankenstein because Victor is a melancholic man who made a error in the past which causes his downfall. The combination of these two type of heroes allows Victor to be a victim and brings in the theme of

Get Access