ARE THE MONSTER AND VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN BOTH

MOTIVATED BY REVENGE?

The monster and Victor Frankenstein are both motivated by revenge. This idea is clearly
portrayed through the domino effect of plot lines and foreshadowing incorporated by Mary
Shelly. Fuelled by loneliness and alienation, the monster experiences a vehement hatred for
its creator, this internalisation coupled with his rejection from society fuels his most
demonic acts. These acts in turn have provided a catalyst for the degradation of
Frankenstein, and his fear of condemnation and eventual downfall from glory has given
Frankenstein the stage and motivation to openly take revenge upon his creation. Hence it is
evident that Frankenstein and his monster are both motivated by revenge due to their
outcast and fear of alienation from society.

Imbued with a sense of loneliness and denied the right to a partner, the monster seeks
revenge upon Frankenstein for his betrayal. After finding himself abandoned by society and
forced into a hobble, the monster grows fond of a small family who he learns from and
kindles an affection for. The monster observes how despite being rather poor, the brother
and sister manage to share the pain and suffering and continue to lead a good life. The
monster recalls how “the young man and his companion often went apart and appeared to
weep. [he] saw no cause for their unhappiness; but was deeply affected by it. If such lovely
creatures were miserable, it was less strange that [he], an imperfect and solitary being,
should be wretched.” this quote portrays the monster’s initial phase where he begins to
understand his true alienation within the world and begins to long for another like him. The
fire continues to grow throughout the book, to the point where the monster demands a
companion in return for the safety of Frankenstein’s family. He promises to never harm
mankind ever again if he were given another being like himself to feel loved by. This
absence of love and loneliness that society has imposed upon the monster are many of the
driving factors in the evil that the monster succumbs to. But when Frankenstein takes away
the monster’s only chance at love, the monster snaps and seeks revenge by essentially
forcing Frankenstein into a world of his own downfall, a world where he cannot fabricate
the slightest hint of happiness. After the destruction of his female counterpart, the monster
rages,““Shall each man,” cried he, “find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate,
and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn.
Man! you may hate; but beware! your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the
bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness for ever.” Blinded by animosity
towards Frankenstein due to his denial to love, the monster seeks revenge through a torrent
of murder. With his sanity destroyed and his humanity quelled, the monster begins to find
joy in Frankenstein’s detriment; “A grin [contorted] on the face of the monster; he seemed
to jeer as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of [Frankenstein’s] wife.”

Words gives the monster power to his feelings and these internalised feelings combust in a
barrage of murder and evil. A well-known adage states that “words cut deeper than a knife”,
this idea is present within the story of Frankenstein when the monster begins to learn how
to speak from the DeLacey’s, he “ [perceives] that the words they spoke sometimes
produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the
hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and [he] ardently desired to become acquainted
with it.” These words induce the monster to turn towards himself; he begins to question his
existence, how his appearances as well as abilities differ from the common man and he
comes to the realisation of his true desertedness within the world he was brought into. This
emptiness riles anger within the monster, yet he holds onto the prospect “that [the
DeLacey’s] would be disgusted [by his appearances], until, by [his] gentle demeanour and
conciliating words, should first win their favour, and afterwards their love. “ This desperate
grasp at hope is devastated when he is beaten by the DeLacey’s due to a simple
misunderstanding. Consequently, the monster is motivated by revenge upon humanity for
their cruel judgement and upon Frankenstein for conjuring him into a society that condemns
and dooms the different. The monster flees the hut and returns to find his protectors have
left. Blinded by fury, he burns down the hut and flees. This moment in the plot marks the
initial stage of the monster’s regression into evil; his inability to voice his feelings leave them
internalised which provokes the madness within him, he numbs himself to sympathy and
love and hardens himself from his moral compass - he himself indoctrinates this image of a
monster to please his tormentors.

Frankenstein’s fear of ridicule and condemnation lead to much of the agony that is
experienced within the book, albeit, once all that serves meaning to him is brutally taken, he
loses all sense of self perception and is motivated by revenge to bring justice to his family.
After a brief speech by Frankenstein’s father on the fate of Justine, Frankenstein, “was
firmly convinced in [his] own mind that Justine, and indeed every human being, was guiltless
of this murder. [he] had no fear, therefore, that any circumstantial evidence could be
brought forward strong enough to convict her. [His]tale was not one to announce publicly;
its astounding horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar. Did any one indeed
exist, except [he], the creator, who would believe, unless his senses convinced him, in the
existence of the living monument of presumption and rash ignorance which [he] had let
loose upon the world?” this quote depicts Frankenstein’s unwillingness to expose himself in
order to save a human being. Rather than admitting to his creation and its guiltiness in this
crime, Frankenstein leaves it to “circumstantial evidence” due to how he “would be looked
upon as madness…”. Frankenstein’s constant fear of condemnation by society, continually
poses a threat to humanity, first it was the death of William and Justine to which no justice
was brought, and it soon catches up with his father, Henry and his wife Elizabeth,. However,
once all that is dear to him is unreservedly ripped out of his hands, “the deep grief which
this scene had at first excited quickly gave way to rage and despair.” He realises that despite
his fault, “they were dead, and [he] lived; their murderer also lived, and to destroy him [he]
must drag out [his] weary existence. [He] knelt on the grass and kissed the earth, and with
quivering lips exclaimed, “By the sacred earth on which I kneel, by the shades that wander
near me, by the deep and eternal grief that I feel, I swear; and by thee, O Night, and the
spirits that preside over thee, to pursue the daemon who caused this misery until he or I
shall perish in mortal conflict. For this purpose I will preserve my life: to execute this dear
revenge will I again behold the sun and tread the green herbage of earth, which otherwise
should vanish from my eyes for ever. And I call on you, spirits of the dead; and on you,
wandering ministers of vengeance, to aid and conduct me in my work. Let the cursed and
hellish monster drink deep of agony; let him feel the despair that now torments me.”” This
declaration to wreak havoc upon the monster, gave way to his eternal pursuit, unbound by
a spouse, love or certainty, he ventures through the harshest climates and “[he pursues his]
path towards the destruction of the daemon more as a task enjoined by heaven, as the
mechanical impulse of some power of which [he] was unconscious, than as the ardent
desire of [his] soul.”

Therefore, it is evident that both Frankenstein and his monster are motivated by revenge
and that both of their actions create cascading effects upon their efforts to wipe each other
out of existence. The monster’s rejection from society and his attained ability to
comprehend and centralise how others perceive him, kindles a sense of hatred for humanity
and his creator, hence his murder and incessant evil is motivated by revenge for his
emptiness and dejection. Frankenstein finds himself in a similar situation to his monster; his
self image and fear of societal denunciation allows the monster to run free with blood on his
hands, however when his fear subsides and he is left alone in the world, he wages war upon
his monster and is motivated by revenge for all those that were taken from him.

Reflection:

My style of writing was geared towards a more formal language, throughout this piece, I
aimed to divert from the traditional TEEL style of writing for essays as recommended by
Mr.Williams to a Intro, three body and conclusion format. The major difficulties I faced with
this task was staying coherent throughout each paragraph, other than that, finding the
quotes and explaining them was relatively clear.