Victor Frankenstein: A Byronic “Hero”

The Byronic Hero, created by Lord Byron during the Romantic Era, is an archetypal character that has been utilized by many authors throughout time since then. It adds a level of emotional complexity to Romantic protagonists that once lacked these composite traits. The purpose of the archetype’s creation is to connect and relate to readers on a more psychological level. Mary Shelley completes this task with her characterization of Victor Frankenstein in her nineteenth-century novel, Frankenstein. Specifically, Victor shows a high level of intelligence, he struggles with his integrity, and he causes his destruction, as a Byronic Hero does.

Shelley implements these three characteristics of a Byronic hero, as well as many others, into Victor Frankenstein’s character to drive the conflict in a more complex manner and emphasize the consequences that come with ambition when paired with careless behavior

Shelley profitably uses the trait of a high level of intelligence in her characterization of Victor in a way that ultimately adds to the essence of the story’s conflict.

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Through his childhood behavior as well as through his journey in creating the monster, readers see that Victor Frankenstein has owned this extreme intelligence level throughout his entire life. While explaining his childhood story, he describes, “...My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement, but by some law, in my temperature, they were turned not towards childish pursuits but to an eager desire to learn, and not to learn all things indiscriminately,” (Shelley, 39). Through this quote, readers can perceive that Victor has always had a vigorous thirst for knowledge.

Even as a child, he was dedicated to acquiring as much information as possible to gain a sense of self-fulfillment. After educating himself, Victor’s life revolved around the knowledge that he obtained, and all his thoughts and actions were driven by curiosity. This mindset becomes a catalyst for Victor’s downfall as he is unable to act responsibly with the immense amount of knowledge that he had procured. This idea is evident in his creation of the monster. Victor’s struggle to use his high intelligence beneficially is explored as he cautions, “...Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow,” (Shelley, 54). Victor recognizes that his suffering and unhappiness are effects of his abuse of knowledge. He shows sentiments of regret for creating the monster because it was the cause of insurmountable amounts of pain for him. Blinded by the glory and the image that he could achieve, Victor became extremely obsessive with the completion of his creation. He even neglected the strong relationships that have proved to be his only sense of true joy. Victor’s isolation and compulsive nature, motivated by his vast knowledge, take a physical and mental toll on him. He struggles to overcome these harmful effects of the Byronic Hero trait throughout the novel.

A Byronic Hero also struggles with his or her integrity in making moral decisions, and this internal conflict is seen within Victor at numerous moments in the book, driving the story forward. The struggle with integrity is an example of Shelley successfully adding emotional complexity to not only the character but also the plot. An instance of this success is very apparent in the death of Victor’s brother William, which also leads to the trial of Justine Moritz. After first receiving the news of his brother’s death, Victor is internally conflicted about the sacrifice of his reputation. He justifies his choice to withhold the truth for the sake of his image explaining, “...My tale was not one to announce publicly; its astounding horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar,” (Shelley, 81). Victor cares more about his reputation than telling the truth. Still blinded by the same glory that prompted him to create the monster in the first place, he does not even attempt to save Justine from condemnation. Victor would soon understand that this choice to disregard integrity and keep the truth to himself would be the cause of much heavier and more painful difficulties than the destruction of his image. Justine, who dies after being pronounced guilty during her trial, is just one victim of Victor’s carelessness. He comes to terms with his decision to stay silent, but the emotional impact weighs on him as he describes, “...Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved toby spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed art,” (Shelley, 90). The internal impact that Victor’s struggle with integrity made is emphasized through this quote. While choosing to hide the truth, he only thought about what was best for himself and not the effect it would have on others. Feelings of guilt compile in his mind knowing that he has to live with the decision as well as the outcome. Both William and Justine are symbols of the loss of innocence consequential of tobyby  Victor’s actions. Shelley utilizes this trait of the Byronic Hero to emphasize the emotional conflict that Victor must battle from start to finish.

Causing self-destruction is another trait of a Byronic Hero that Victor also portrays, and throughout the story, readers can trace Victor’s choices and actions building up to his ultimate physical and emotional downfall. Two pivotal instances in which this occurs are when he chooses to destroy his second monster in the process of creating it and when he chases the first monster after it had taken away all of his strong relationships; both events led to major consequences that inflicted pain and suffering upon Victor. After destroying the female creature in front of the monster’s eyes, instant feelings of regret haunt his mind, and he explains, “my imagination conjured up a thousand images to torment and sting me... I shuddered to think who might be the next victim sacrificed to his insatiate revenge,” (Shelley, 173). Victor was already aware of the harm that the monster was capable of. He knew that anger has been building up inside the monster, and the monster was ready to act on his feelings of revenge at any time. Victor’s indecisiveness as well as his impulsiveness in his actions reflect the thought process that he had in both creating and destroying the second monster. He did not think about the consequences of destroying the monster until after it was already done. He carelessly disregarded what the monster had already threatened, knowing that his family and friends were also at risk. Destroying the second monster was the turning point that prompted the monster to kill Victor’s friend Henry Clerval, then his new wife Elizabeth, and then his father. Victor already initiated conflict with the creation of his first monster and also fails to help the situation with the second. With all his relationships gone, Victor decides to devote the rest of his life to destroying the monster that he believes caused all his pain. He justifies his vow stating, “I had begun my adjuration with solemnity, and an awe which almost assured me that the shades of my murdered friends heard and approved my devotion; but the furies possessed me as I concluded, and rage choked my utterance,” (Shelley, 206). Victor is motivated by the loss of his loved ones to seek revenge on the monster, even though he is essentially the one to blame. He begins to care more about the revenge than anything else, and he believes that it is now his sole purpose in life. Victor’s complete devotion leads to a major decline in his health along with the mental toll his ambitious mindset has already taken. As a Byronic Hero, the exploration of Victor’s self-destruction adds a layer of intricacy that better engages readers in the conflicts of the novel.

Mary Shelley’s characterization of the Byronic Hero through Victor Frankenstein effectively contributes to the meaning of her work-- while ambition is a strong quality to possess, one should be cautious of their decisions because they ultimately influence the outcome of his or her future. By following Victor, a complicated character, and his internal thoughts throughout a series of convoluted events, the message of the story is made even stronger, and with this added emotional complexity, she is able tcacansurface captivate readers in her writing, better sending the message across. Without following a complex Byronic Hero like Victor, readers would only see the conflicts presented in the book at the casurface level, and they would not be able to delve as deep. A “hero” is defined as one who is admired for their achievements and nobleness. Victor Frankenstein may not fit this exact definition, but he still acts as a “hero” in which readers can find guidance in his character and learn from his mistakes.

Works Cited

1. Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. 1818. Print.