Victor Frankenstein As A Hero - 1598 Words

Although some critics view Victor Frankenstein as a Tragic Hero because of his one essential flaw, his overambitious desire to discover what cannot be known, he is truly a Byronic Hero by definition. Although Victor is of a higher social class than the average person and his essential flaw triumphs all of his others, he has a deeply troubled past, struggles with integrity, secludes himself away from society, and is a willful individual who seeks redemption by carving out his own path. Victor’s many, deep flaws, which often induce the reader to believe that he is actually the antagonist and the Monster the hero, and ultimate redemption in telling Robert Walton his life’s story make him a Byronic Hero. Although Victor’s family was one of the most distinguished of the republic of Geneva and his parents were possessed by the â€Å"very spirit of kindness / And indulgence,† (Shelley 39) his days were not filled with happiness. His troubled past started the day Elizabeth caught scarlet fever, delaying his departure for Ingolstadt. Although Victor’s mother, Caroline, was able to cure her, she died in her place. The destruction of a dear bond by an irreparable evil surely would have caused anyone to suffer, but as time came, Caroline’s death became â€Å"rather an / Indulgence than a necessity† (Shelley 45) to Victor; it was nothing more than something that delayed his departure for Ingolstadt. Because Victor is in a situation where he no longer has control, his psyche must carry the burdenShow MoreRelatedVictor Frankenstein: Epic Hero Essay1093 Words   |  5 Pagesoriginated. The historic book Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley descr ibes a man who creates a creature out of dead body parts of humans. Although this monster was meant for good purposes, it eventually leads to destruction including multiple murders. However, Victor Frankenstein can actually be determined as a hero by the ways in which he fits within the interpretation of an epic hero. Gregory Nagy describes these traits when he writes: â€Å"The words ‘epic’ and ‘hero’ both defy generalizationRead MoreVictor Frankenstein: a Tragic Hero Essay759 Words   |  4 Pageslandscapes (Frye 1). Few characters illustrate this characteristic of a tragic hero better than that of Victors Frankenstein, the protagonist of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. His story is one of a brilliant man whose revolutionary ideas brought suffering to himself, his family and friends, and his creation. Victor is an instrument as well as a victim to this suffering throughout his story. From the early chapters of the novel, Victor narrates a childhood, schooling, and career filled with an unstoppableRead MoreFrankenstein Byronic Hero Analysis1070 Words   |  5 Pages The Byronic hero as presented in Lord Byron’s â€Å"Manfred,† is a protagonist who has traits, including: a troubled background, high self esteem, isolation from society, an exaggerated sense of independence, and genuine guilt. All of these traits Manfred bears, and Victor shares in a differing form. The differences between Manfred and Victor begin with their feelings of guilt and continue through the amount of control they give up over themselves. The guilt of Victor is false when compared with thatRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein - Romantic Ideology Of A Byronic Hero1270 Words   |  6 PagesMary Wollstonecraft Shelly. Her novel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, incorporates different characteristics of Romanticism in many aspects but more directly through the characters. With an analysis of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Henry Clerval, it is clear that the characters of Frankenstein epitomize ideologies that were embodied during the Romantic Era including the Byronic hero, and emphasis on nature’s significance. Victor Frankenstein s character is an example of the romanticRead MoreFrankenstein as Anti-Hero Character1578 Words   |  7 PagesSUCI HANIFAH LITERARY CRITICISM II EDRIA SANDIKA/MARLIZA YENI 8 MAY 2013 Frankenstein as Anti Hero Character A women who wrote â€Å"Frankenstein† named, Mary Shelley, she was born August 30, 1797, in London, England. Mary Shelley came from a rich literary heritage. She was the daughter of William Godwin, a political theorist, novelist, and publisher. Her ideas to write Frankenstein cameon summer of 1816, Mary and his brother Percy visited the poet Lord Byron at his villa beside Lake Geneva in SwitzerlandRead MoreByronic Hero In Frankenstein1563 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a critique of the Byronic hero, as exemplified in Lord Byron’s â€Å"Manfred.† The Byronic hero is a protagonist who has the following traits: self-inflicted agony, a high self esteem, isolation from society, an exaggerated sense of independence, and genuine guilt. All of these traits Manfred bears, but Victor lacks two of these attributes. The lead protagonists, Victor and Manfred, have two key differences: genuine remorse and independence. Victor’s guilt is false whenRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe s Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, And The Tell Tale Heart1579 Words   |  7 PagesGothic Frankenstein The amount of scary books, dark video games and horror movies in the horror genre is unparalleled by any other single genre. People who take part in this genre enjoy the heart-pounding thrill of being scared or the long drawn out tension that causes them to sit on the edge of their seat. Historically many of the early examples of the horror or gothic genre like Dracula by Bram Stoker, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and The Tell Tale Heart by EdgarRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein1179 Words   |  5 PagesRepentance and stubbornness A hero is someone who remains seen in literature as a person with great courage and strength, yet though not always the case. The hero usually takes risk for the greater good. The Romantic hero becomes a type of literary idol with different morals. They are passionate about what they love, becoming obsessed with their newfound passion and become determined to perfect at what they do. They eventually become tragically doomed through creating their own individual moralRead MoreAbsence of Heroes and Villains in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein781 Words   |  4 PagesAbsence of Heroes and Villains in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Frankenstein is a gothic novel which was published in the 19th century, and was written by Mary Shelley. In the 19th century the most popular types of novels were horror. This novel was an early example of a thriller. One of the main reasons why Mary Shelley wrote a book about science, horror and suffering was because she knew that people in the 19thRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein and Christopher Marlowes Dr. Faustus1286 Words   |  6 PagesSuperman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Batman; these are some examples of the modern day hero. Most call this form of a hero a Super Hero. In the early nineteenth century, the popular hero of the day was the romantic hero. Mary Shelly gives a great picture of this hero in her novel Frankenstein. She uses Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the famous â€Å"Frankenstein’s Monster† as her character which embodies the traits of a romantic hero. The model was relatively new; however, Christopher Marlowe had written a character