Is Victor Frankenstein An Aristotelian Tragic Hero?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In Frankenstein also known as The Modern Prometheus, the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, to an extent is

a tragic hero

. This is because it follows some of the many common traits of a typical Aristotelian tragic hero. These include how the Frankenstein is lead to his downfall due to his excessive pride.

Is Frankenstein an archetypal hero?

Frankenstein is

an archetypal hero

because he knows more than what he’d wish for, and is then capable of doing more things, both bad and good. … Shelley creates this archetype by letting the monster tell his side of the story after coming to life through a first-person point of view.

What makes Frankenstein a hero?

Victor Frankenstein is the protagonist of Frankenstein. His

goal is to achieve something great and morally good

, which will secure him a lasting reputation. In pursuit of this goal, he creates the Monster, but his pursuit of his goal also causes his conflict with the Monster.

What kind of person is Victor Frankenstein?

Victor Frankenstein is the protagonist of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. He is

an intelligent man with an obsession with reanimation

, or reawakening the dead, which he studies intensely in the old and out-of-date works of alchemists and ancient scientists.

How Victor Frankenstein is a tragic hero?

Victor Frankenstein falls under the category of a classical

tragic hero

, his flaw being his selfishness which ultimately isolates him from society and leads to his downfall. Frankenstein has many moments of realization, among which he acknowledges that he is responsible for his creation and is at fault.

Why did Victor create the monster?

Victor creates the monster

in hopes of achieving glory and remembrance through his contributions to scientific advancement

. However, he does not ever consider the many implications involved with the creation of life.

What was Frankenstein’s tragic flaw?


Hamartia

is a literary term that refers to a tragic flaw or error that leads to a character’s downfall. In the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s arrogant conviction that he can usurp the roles of God and nature in creating life directly leads to ruinous consequences for him, making it an example of hamartia.

What archetype is the monster in Frankenstein?

Victor Frankenstein’s creature has many archetypes that show throughout the story. In the narrative, the monster is shown to be

the evil villain character archetype

. The Evil Villain is the character who has the intentions to destroy the hero’s journey.

Who is the damsel in distress in Frankenstein?

In the novel, Mary Shelley portrays women as beautiful yet helpless and defenseless creatures. She does little to empower the women, leaving them as mere “damsels in distress”. Example:

Caroline Beaufort

is found by Alphonso Frankenstein crying over her father’s dead body.

What are the 12 character archetypes?

  • The Lover.
  • The Hero.
  • The Magician.
  • The Outlaw.
  • The Explorer.
  • The Sage.
  • The Innocent.
  • The Creator.

Why is Victor Frankenstein a romantic hero?

Victor Frankenstein, the main character, is a romantic character

because he represents the Romantic ideals of imagination and innovation

. Other examples of Romanticism in the novel appear when Shelley incorporates vivid imagery of nature. Throughout the novel, Shelley describes the awesomeness of nature.

Is Frankenstein a good guy?

Far from being a purely evil and malignant being bent on destruction, Frankenstein’s creature is shown to be a caring, selfless being who wants to bring happiness. … His readings present him with the idea that mankind is

capable of both good

and evil, benignity and malignance.

Who is Victor’s best friend?


Henry

is Victor’s best friend who looks after him when he is ill and accompanies him to England. Henry’s purpose in the novel is to show what Victor could have been had he not been influenced by ambition and the desire for discovery – in that sense he is Victor’s opposite.

What is the personality of the monster in Frankenstein?

The Monster

The eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Victor Frankenstein.

Intelligent and sensitive

, the Monster attempts to integrate himself into human social patterns, but all who see him shun him. His feeling of abandonment compels him to seek revenge against his creator.

Is Victor Frankenstein religious?

Victor himself

professes to be a Christian

, and a great deal of his internal conflict stems from his feelings that he has betrayed his faith and usurped the rights of his creator in imbuing life into dead flesh.

Why is Victor Frankenstein evil?

On the Archetype level, Victor is the villain

because he tries to play god

. He wants to be worshipped like a god, by creating his own species, and creating life from plain matter. But in doing so, Victor disturbed the natural order of things. Finally, Victor is the villain on the Gothic level.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.