Amayad 1

Muhammad Amayad

Mr. R Hobbins

ENG4U-05 Friday,

March 23, 2023

The Wickedness of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Evil has existed since the inception of the world and encompasses humans in several

different forms. Each human has their own evil desires, and how these desires manifest and

present themselves to the world determines the extent of one’s evilness. In the gothic novel

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores the nature of evil through the characters of Victor

Frankenstein and the creature. Both commit several evil acts as their ambitions and desires blind

them. However, the character each of them shows in their circumstances proves that Victor Commented [RH1]: Bit awkward here.

Frankenstein is the most evil and villainous character. This is proven due to the violence and

selfishness that Victor continues to show and the character of virtue the creature holds despite his

circumstances. Commented [RH2]: Good but try to tighten so that the

plan of development is even clearer.

Victor's continuous and ignorant display of violence throughout the novel proves that he

is, without a doubt, far more wicked than the creature. Victor’s father, Alphonse, took measures Commented [RH3]: Nice topic sentence!

to ensure that Victor was not impressed with any sort of supernatural horror (Shelley 79). As a

result, Victor became desensitized to death and gore, and blinded by his ambitions, ; he goes to

gruesome lengths to create the creature’s grotesque body. Victor himself admits, "Who shall Commented [RH4]: Avoid focusing on this - did he
have a choice?
conceive the horrors of my secret toil, as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave, or
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tortured the ; living animal" (Shelley 82). Despite being fully aware of how immoral his violent

acts were, he secretly kills several animals and desecrates the dead only for his experiments.

Victor's actions make him far viler than the creature, as he continues mutilating and stitching

body parts together for months on end. In comparison, the creature only shows violence in

isolated instances when overwhelmed by rage due to how much humanity challenges him

because of his appearance. Victor’s violent acts are responsible for the creature’s abhorrent

appearance and thus the challenges the creature faces as well. This violent behaviour is further

projected onto the creature, even when he is willing to be docile so that he can reason with

Victor. The creature even calls out Victor’s hypocrisy for accusing him of murder while he

himself would destroy his own creation (Shelley 127). Victor's violent tendencies blind him as he

challenges the monster to a duel until one of them perishes (Shelley 126), not realizing that he is

no match for the creature's colossal stature and strength. He is so driven by violence that he

remains adamant on vengeance and eventually drives himself to his own death. Even on his

deathbed, he hopes that Walton will consider fulfilling his mission: "When actuated by selfish Commented [RH5]: Good but no real need to include
much of the creature here. Focus on Victor's actions.
and vicious motives, I asked you to undertake my unfinished work, and I renew this request now,

when I am only induced by reason and virtue." (Shelley 239). Even in a state of reason, he

believes that violence is the answer, not realizing that it is the cause of all of his and the

creature’s misery, to begin with. Victor’s willingness to show violence without hesitance proves

that he is the most evil character.

In addition to his violent behaviour, Victor's mindset remains selfish, as he fulfills his

own desires without any regard for the consequences they might bring. Victor’s selfishness

begins as he tries to play God and continues to follow his desires despite the advice of his

professors, Mr. Krempe and Mr. Waldman. Although Victor initially hopes to benefit humanity
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by finding the elixir of life, he has personal motives as well. He even expects more gratitude

from his creation than a father does from his child (Shelley 82). Yet he ultimately chooses to

abandon the creature only because he cannot bear his appearance. This is extremely selfish

because Victor fails to consider how he is leaving the creature vulnerable to the world and

chooses to avoid it. His mindset remains selfish following Justine’s wrongful execution. He Commented [RH6]: Awkward wording.

comforts himself with the idea that Justine is now at peace and that he is the one who remains to

suffer (Shelley 117). After Clerval’s death, Victor selfishly decides to marry Elizabeth as soon as

possible. This action is particularly callous since he just destroyed the female creature, despite

knowing that she is the only chance the creature has at happiness (Shelley 191). Victor

continuously fails to consider how the creature longs for the same love and family that he has Commented [RH7]: Or he simply doesn't care!

always been surrounded with. His selfishness is the cause of the creature's miserable existence,

and his selfish marriage only deepens the creature's wounds. After hearing of the marriage, the

creature, full of envy, truly turns unhinged and murders Elizabeth. Victor is the orchestrator of

the alienation of the creature, and his selfishness acts as a catalyst for the monster to commit evil

acts when overwhelmed by rage. Each time, Victor selfishly follows his own desires, not

considering the effect they may have on the creature and those around him.

Despite the challenges the creature faces, the virtuous character he holds onto proves that

he is far less evil than Victor Frankenstein. The creature's existence begins with misery as he is Commented [RH8]: Focus more on Victor's lack of
virtue, even after everything that happened.
forced to remain isolated due to how much humans abhor his appearance. Instead of harbouring

hatred for humans due to this, he chooses to be inspired by the virtuous behaviour of the

DeLacey family. Upon learning of their poverty, sympathy takes control of his heart, and he

endeavours to ease their lives. He selflessly stops stealing their food and begins secretly

gathering fuel wood to improve their conditions (Shelley 137). All he hopes to gain in return is Commented [RH9]: Wherever possible, follow
chronological order. Not always possible though.
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the acceptance of the Delaceys; however, he is only returned with a brutal beating by Felix. Even

then, the creature exhibits self-control as he refrains from harming Felix and chooses to blame

his own appearance instead. Despite being desolate and in the deepest depths of despair when the

DeLaceys abandoned him, the creature continues to hold onto his virtue. He heroically risks

exposure as he endeavours to save the girl from the river’s rapid current. He hopes to revive her;

however, the girl's father ends up shooting him (Shelley 165) due to his appearance. The creature

selflessly tries to help other humans; however, his benevolence is always returned with violence,

which causes his heart to turn bitter against humans. In the end, the creature finally

acknowledges all his faults and hopes to take responsibility as best he can as he discusses his

actions with Robert Walton. The creature says, "When I call over the frightful catalog of my

deeds, I cannot believe that I am he whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and

transcendent visions of the beauty and the majesty of goodness." (Shelley 242). He continues,

"Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death?"

(Shelley 244). The creature is able to recognize his mistakes, and full of remorse, he hopes to

atone for his sins through death. The virtues the creature holds are primarily corrupted due to the

vices of the evil Victor Frankenstein.

Victor's persistent acts of violence, selfishness, and the creature's virtue despite his

circumstances demonstrate that Victor Frankenstein is a far more wicked character. It is only

because of Victor's actions that the creature, who initially chooses to follow a path of

righteousness, loses his innocence and commits evil acts. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein serves as

a lesson to humanity about favouring virtue to ensure peace in the world. Moreover, it serves as a

reminder to deprecate the evils that rot this world, as they may further lead to the loss of a

virtuous society.
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Works Cited

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, et al. Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus; the 1818

Version. 2nd ed., Broadview Press, 2004. Commented [RH10]: Indent this line.

Great work here. Just a few little things that you could improve upon. This was a fun read!

Reading for Meaning: Level 4+

- demonstrates an accurate understanding of the text as well as the important details of the essay.
- extend understanding of text by making rich and insightful connections between text and
personal knowledge, experience, other texts, or the world. (1.5)

Developing and Organizing Content: Level 4+/4

- thesis reflects use of brainstorming. (1.1 - 1.5)
- introductory paragraph has a creative hook, a clear plan of development, and a strong/clear
thesis. (1.1 - 1.5)
- organization of subtopics and examples within body paragraphs reflects thesis. (1.1 - 1.5)
- paragraphs are logically developed with supporting details and transitions. (1.1 - 1.5)
- concluding paragraph summarises main ideas and leaves an impression on the reader. (1.1-1.5)

Using Knowledge of Form and Style: Level 4+

- demonstrate an understanding of proper essay structure. (2.1)
- formal diction is used: 3rd person, present tense, avoid slang and contractions, and maintain
objective tone. (2.2)
- word selection is appropriate for this grade level. (2.3)
- ensure to have sentence variety and appropriate syntax. (2.4)
- show evidence of the writing process by using an outline, rough draft, and final copy. (2.6-2.7)

Applying Knowledge of Conventions: Level 4/4+

- express ideas clearly and concisely. (3.3 and 3.6)
- avoid errors with spelling, punctuation, and conventions. (3.1, 3.2, 3.4)
- use appropriate vocabulary and editing skills to meet the criteria. (3.3., 3.5, 3.7)
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