Knowledge And Murder In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

853 Words4 Pages
Knowledge becomes dangerous when put into the wrong hands. With every ounce of gained knowledge comes responsibility that should not be abused, and when it is, there are unpleasant consequences. One consequence being revenge, which can also be dangerous in itself. Dangerous knowledge and revenge are two of the major themes within Frankenstein, and are manifested through the behaviors of Victor Frankenstein, his monster, and Robert Walton. Victor Frankenstein obsesses over the secret of life and lets nothing stop him from his pursuit. He mentions how he was, “engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries, which I hoped to make. None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science” (Shelley 51). Victor’s choice to create the monster was only to gain unknown knowledge; however, it led to unintended consequences that were irreversible; his creature was now permanent in his life, and successfully, horrifically alive. The loss of friends and family fuels revenge in which Victor fixates on his creature, and dedicates the rest of his life to hunting the hideous monster…show more content…
The monster says to himself, “Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind, when it has once seized on it, like a lichen on the rock” (Shelley 108). Ever since his abandonment by Frankenstein, he is constantly rejected by society for his differences, and his knowledge of this causes a severe pain within him. Again, it is the danger of knowledge that initiates the rise of revenge among Victor. The monster’s found feelings and emotions cause grief and pain that can’t be reversed. He blames his creator, Victor, for his abandonment; for his horrifying looks; and for his feelings of pain and misery. The only logical thing the monster fixates on is revenge, killing every loved one of his
Open Document