By: Francis Ramos, Conner Dunn, Lucia Zhan, Mohammad Almatrood and Courtney Pham

A TRAGIC HERO

THE PROMPT AND ITS MEANING

• The creator of tragedy often has the same (or even worse) misfortune befall him or her.

• The suffering that the victims experience intensifies the conductor’s guilty conscience and yields a tragic vision for the entire piece.

• The creator of tragedy often experiences the same misfortune he/she caused.

• How does the misery and suffering caused by the figure contribute to the overall tragic vision?

WHY FRANKENSTEIN WHY?

• Victor Frankenstein is the epitome of a tragic hero.

• The dark fantasies of human creation exposed to him resulted in a fanatical farsightedness for glory.

• The fruit of Victor’s fixation was not the beautiful being he imagined, and his error was that he did not recognize the implications of his actions.

• Consequently, he abandoned a monster that just wanted a place in society, and could only watch helplessly as the people around him were murdered one by one.

• When everyone he cares about departs from his life, Victor’s rage and remorse impel him to exact the same revenge the creature did on him.

• Thus, the tragic and ill-fated deaths of the others are perhaps a lighter sentence than the end he must endure and reflect on during his pursuit of the monster.

THESIS• Step 1: The protagonist suffers.

• Step 2: The compulsive protagonist excruciatingly suffers.

• Step 3: In the novel “Frankenstein,” the compulsive protagonist suffers after the creation of the monster.

• Step 4: In the novel “Frankenstein,” the compulsive protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, excruciatingly suffers after the creation of his monster.

• Step 5: In the novel “Frankenstein,” the compulsive protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, excruciatingly suffers after the creation of his monster due to mental and physical inflictions.

• Step 6: In the novel “Frankenstein,” the compulsive protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, excruciatingly suffers after the creation of his monster due to mental and physical inflictions caused by the murder of his loved ones, the thirst of vengeance, and the struggle to obtain righteous morality.

THE DEATH OF WILLIAM• What happened so far

The creature built up a desire for affection upon observing the peasants.

Rejected physically and emotionally, the creature’s desire for affection became twisted into rage against his creator, Victor Frankenstein.

• What transpired

The creature discovered the relation between William and Victor.

The monster murdered William to ensure Victor’s suffering.

“It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of my fellow beings” (54).

THE DEATH OF WILLIAM• Why is it significant

• Victor truly believes the monster is evil

• William symbolized innocence and thus the monster destroyed innocence when murdering William.

• William’s death was part of the creature’s attempt to make Victor and him alike.

• Both experience isolation and loneliness.

THE DEATH OF HENRY• Events that transpired beforehand

• The creature proposed a deal with Victor: make him a female monster.

• Frankenstein denies the creature one more time.

• What happened

• Henry is murdered due to his strong friendship with Victor and the creature’s jealousy of Victor’s ability to form companions..

• Why it happened

• The creature wants Victor to share his pain.

• Henry symbolizes the camaraderie that the monster desires.

• “The murderer had to come to mock at my misery, and taunt me with the death of Clerval” (132).

• Why it’s important

• Henry’s death leads Victor to insanity and adds to the tragic vision of the novel.

THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH• What happened

• Elizabeth is murdered due to her significance as Victor’s place of tranquility and affection.

• Why it happened

• The creature wants Victor to share his pain.

• Elizabeth was a symbol of genuine affection and tranquility.

• Why it’s important

• Her death causes Victor to lose his last inklings of happiness.

• Elizabeth’s murders destroyed Victor’s love and future, therefore altering his purpose in life.

• “I pursued him; and for many months this has been my task” (150).

MAN VS. SUPERNATURAL

• The creature is a being of supernatural origins.

• Conflicts against Victor for dominance causes Victor pain and suffering.

• This conflict creates the dynamic plot of a tragedy, while showing depth of their characters.

PARADOX & IRONY

• In the beginning, Victor was excited to create life, due to his desire for scientific innovation to help mankind.

• ironically the creature becomes the source of his suffering and demise.

• This adds to the tragic elements of the novel because Victor feels responsible for the monster’s happiness because he was its creator, but is conflicted with himself morally due to his belief that the monster is an abomination of nature.

POINT OF VIEW

• Shows the meaning of Victor’s suffering and the creature’s desire for vengeance.

• Shelly’s adds depth to the tragedy by revealing both perspectives.

• Victor’s point of view especially adds to the tragic vision of the novel because his point of view shows his moral ambiguity as he attempts to play God in creating new life, yet then believes he must destroy said life due to its appalling appearance.

SOURCES

• Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” Dover Thrift Edition

• http://orion12212012.deviantart.com/art/Frankenstein-183546149

• http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/horror/lonchaneyjr/lonchaneyjr4.jpg

• http://www.branaghcompendium.com/victor2.jpg

• http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q9gTdYDKI3U/TUEiJqy7eHI/AAAAAAAAD68/ip8cNtaAQJY/s1600/1931_Frankenstein_img4.JPG

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Lightning_hits_tree.jpg

• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N91xwP-lKvw/TFjuyOzhqWI/AAAAAAAABl8/e8UehcIDWoE/s400/house_of_frankenstein_revive.jpg

• http://www.pvusd.k12.ca.us/departments/GATE/images/icons/perspectives-large.bmp

• http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/iqoncept/iqoncept1101/iqoncept110100001/8535804-a-green-two-way-street-sign-pointing-to-good-or-evil-symbolizing-the-inner-conflict-of-the-conscienc.jpg