Prompt: Is the creature's life one of tragedy or one of villainy? There's a fine line between tragedy and villainy; most villains begin with tragedy; it's the choices that these people make after facing tragedy that define their outcomes in their own stories. They will either aim for vengeance and get consumed by hatred and lead a life of villainy, or use their tragic experience to lead them to a better and calmer life by learning to live with their pain. We see this concept portrayed in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein: the creature's life is one of tragedy that results in his villainy. Though the creature's origins are indeed tragic and prove that he is not inherently evil, his actions afterward reveal his descent from innocence to darkness. This descent is not primarily the result of his tragic circumstances, but also a result of …show more content…
The creature's own “protector had departed and had broken the only link that held me to the world" (139), leaving him to fend for himself in a world that rejects him. The creature's evilness came not from birth, but he is “malicious because I am miserable; am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?" 147. These circumstances that he has faced have resulted in the monster that he has become now. The creature had no companion or a person to lead him on the right path, someone to teach him right from wrong. His entire existence seemed to be revolted by all humanity, leaving him with no refuge or home. Although the creature did indeed suffer a great tragedy, that does not excuse his actions. When faced with adversity, the creature chooses violence as a means of retaliation and “vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” instead of seeking help or solitude to not further entreat their rage. Here is the true turning point, where the creature's life has turned from one of tragedy to one of