The Tragedy of Frankenstein8/19/2022 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was one of the first science fiction novels that also serves as a perfect example of a self-fulfilled tragedy. It is also one of my favorite books of all time. It is a perfectly set up tragedy that involves the fatal flaw, the stakes, the setup, and the eventual tragic payoff. The Fatal Flaw Every classic tragedy involves the fatal flaw being present in the main character. Traditionally referred to as the Hamartia, the fatal flaw is the trait that brings tragedy upon the main character. The tragedy is usually rooted in some innate trait that the main character has, so they end up bringing all the pain and misery down upon themselves. A very common fatal flaw is hubris, which is the act of tempting God (or Gods). Often one’s hubris will come into play when one is trying too hard to imitate or take on the role of a god (such as Icarus trying to fly, but flying too close to the sun), or simply by thinking yourself better than you actually are. Victor Frankenstein displays hubris by trying to impersonate God, by creating life from death. It is the ultimate act of tempting God, by trying to impersonate them. This is when there are heavy religious themes in the book, with Victor comparing himself to God, and the Creature comparing himself to Adam. The Stakes An essential part of any tragedy is the stakes, your character needs something to lose in order for the tragedy to have any real sting. If your character starts with nothing and ends with nothing, you end up more in the area of grimdark, not tragedy. Victor has a loving family, with a lovely love interest who he wishes to marry, and his whole prosperous academic career ahead of him. He is charming and well-liked, and has a promising life ahead of him, making his downfall all the more painful. The Setup The thing about the tragedy in Frankenstein is that it was entirely caused by and could have been prevented by Victor. He sets up the tragedy for himself by not only creating the Creature but by abandoning him as well. It is Victor’s own actions that cause the Creature to become an antagonist of the novel. By abandoning the Creature to the elements, and allowing him to contend with the cruel world on his own, Victor sets up his own downfall by orchestrating the Creature’s villain origin story. Even when the Creature gives Victor a chance to make up for his faults by creating a wife for him, Victor still shuns him and turns him away, further alienating the Creature. The Payoff The payoff is where the world (and the Creature) finally catches up to Victor Frankenstein. First, his younger brother dies, murdered by the Creature, then Justine, the housekeeper who had become like family to the Frankensteins, is framed for the murder and executed. Victor then loses his closest friend Clerval, who was also murdered by the Creature, as well as his wife Elizabeth. This is the final element of tragedy of the story, as Victor has now lost everything. He finally decides to pursue the Creature for however long it will take, following him deep into the North, where they engage in a sled chase that ends with them being separated by ice. Victor ends up passing away from an illness before he can ever really catch up to the Creature, and upon seeing that Victor has died, the Creature plunges himself into the ice, never to be seen again. Nate Fahmiis a young writer from Ottawa, Canada. When he isn’t in school, he enjoys reading, writing, crochet, and playing with his two cats. Their favorite genres are horror and fantasy, and they enjoy all things strange. You can find him on Instagram at @nate_fahmi
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