characters Flashcards
(10 cards)
victor frankenstein
Role: Ambitious scientist and tragic hero; creator of the Creature.
Traits: Intelligent, obsessive, arrogant, guilt-ridden, isolated.
Actions: Creates life unnaturally, then rejects it. His ambition and irresponsibility lead to suffering and death. Obsessed with glory, he says:
“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.”
Fate: Dies in the Arctic, consumed by revenge and regret.
creature
Role: Victor’s creation; tragic antagonist.
Traits: Sensitive, intelligent, articulate, vengeful, lonely.
Actions: Begins life innocent, but is rejected by society and Victor. Kills Victor’s loved ones after being denied companionship.
“I am malicious because I am miserable.”
Fate: Disappears into the Arctic to die, full of sorrow and remorse.
Robert Walton
Role: Explorer and narrator of the frame story; parallels Victor.
Traits: Ambitious, idealistic, compassionate.
Actions: Seeks knowledge through Arctic exploration but is warned by Victor’s tale. He ultimately turns back, choosing life over glory.
“I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path.”
Fate: Survives and returns home, having learned from Victor’s downfall.
Elizabeth Lavenza
Role: Victor’s cousin, adopted sister, and fiancée.
Traits: Gentle, loving, passive, idealized.
Actions: Serves as Victor’s emotional anchor. Despite being cherished, she is not protected and is murdered by the Creature.
“The saintly soul of Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home.”
Fate: Killed on her wedding night, symbolizing Victor’s failure.
Henry Clerval
Role: Victor’s best friend and foil.
Traits: Optimistic, moral, imaginative, loyal.
Actions: Tries to help Victor recover from illness and stress. Loves nature and the humanities. Murdered by the Creature.
“His wild and enthusiastic imagination was chastened by the sensibility of his heart.”
Fate: Strangled by the Creature, deepening Victor’s misery.
Alphonse Frankenstein
Role: Victor’s father.
Traits: Loving, rational, supportive.
Actions: Offers Victor comfort and advice, but cannot prevent his son’s obsession. Suffers from family tragedies.
“My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash.”
Fate: Dies from grief after Elizabeth’s murder.
Justine Moritz
Role: Servant in the Frankenstein household; tragic figure.
Traits: Kind, innocent, religious, obedient.
Actions: Wrongly accused and executed for William’s murder, despite her innocence. Victor stays silent.
“I do not fear to die… God knows how entirely I am innocent.”
Fate: Executed, symbolizing injustice and the cost of Victor’s silence.
William Frankenstein
Role: Victor’s youngest brother; first murder victim of the Creature.
Traits: Innocent, joyful, beloved child.
Actions: His murder is a turning point — the Creature’s first act of vengeance after being rejected by society and Victor.
Symbolism: Represents innocence destroyed by unchecked ambition.
Quote (Victor reflecting):
“I had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery.”
Fate: Strangled by the Creature in Geneva.
Caroline Frankenstein
Role: Victor’s mother.
Traits: Kind, nurturing, selfless.
Actions: Adopts Elizabeth, cares for her family lovingly. Dies of scarlet fever, partly after nursing Elizabeth.
Symbolism: Embodies ideal maternal love and sacrifice — contrasts Victor’s lack of responsibility toward his own creation.
Quote: No direct speech, but Victor describes her tenderly:
“Her sympathy was ours; her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of her celestial eyes, were ever there to bless and animate us.”
Fate: Dies early in the novel, spurring Victor’s desire to defeat death.
The De Lacey Family
Role: Poor cottagers observed by the Creature.
Members:
Father (De Lacey): Blind, kind-hearted.
Felix: Son, idealistic, protective.
Agatha: Daughter, gentle and obedient.
Safie: Felix’s lover, represents hope and equality.
Traits: Loving, virtuous, victims of injustice.
Actions: Unknowingly educate the Creature in language, history, and emotions as he watches them. When he tries to befriend them, they reject him in fear.
Symbolism: Represent the potential for human goodness — but also society’s fear of “the other.”
Quote (Creature speaking):
“I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers—their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions: but how was I terrified when I viewed myself in a transparent pool!”
Fate: Flee the cottage in fear after seeing the Creature.
