’
Walton’ Letters
• Walton continues the tale in letter form to his sister,
Margaret
• His sailors desire to return home
• Victor dies
• Walton talks with the monster
• The creature departs
• Tale ends on a bleak note with creature’s
self-destruction.
Walton’ Letters
• Walton continues the story where he expresses both pity
and admiration for Victor calling him ‘ a glorious spirit’,
‘noble’ and ‘god-like’p214
• Sailors are close to mutiny p216 and Victor’s rallying
speech shows all the hallmarks of an overreacher. 217
• ‘Oh! Be men, or more than men.’ This is powerful
rhetoric from a daring, aspiring and dying
explorer/overreacher.
• Walton and Victor share many of the same qualities and
W seems devastated that he will lose his ‘friend’ and not
fulfil his destiny. He shows moral, humane qualities by
agreeing to return home and curbs his overreaching.
p218
• Final letter concludes the tale. Victor begs Walton to take on his quest.
• V recognises his failure to do his ‘duty’ and does not blame the creature.
V is full of horror, remorse for his deeds. P219 Victor dies. p220 ‘He sunk
into silence.’ ‘His eyes closed forever’. W is devastated at the loss of a
kindred spirit.
• W encounters C bending over V and is full of grief and self-reproach at
having destroyed him and his loved ones. 221 ‘I pitied Frankenstein’ p222
C likens himself to Milton’s Satan. ‘fallen angel becomes a malignant
devil.’ 223 reader sympathises as he says, ‘I am alone.’ ‘I am an abortion’
recognises social injustice. 224
• He recognises his mistakes and shows real compassion and love for
Victor. He assures Walton he will no longer be a threat. ‘consume to ashes
this miserable frame’. 224 My ashes will be swept into the sea by the
winds.’ What kind of death does the creature have?
• Link to the myth of Prometheus – he will be consumed by the fire
which seems fitting given subtitle of the novel and Victor’s attempt to
animate a cold corpse with the fire of life. The moral of Shelley’s tale
suggests such quests and dreams can only end in destruction. What
critical opinion of the novel was given in the Quarterly Review 1818? Do
you agree?
Tragedy
• How do Victor, Walton and the Creature fit Aristotle’s
definition of the tragic hero?
• Explore Shelley’s use of the theme of overreaching.
Concentrating on Walton’s story, Victor’s animation of
the creature and the final moments of the creature’s
existence.
Chapter III
Frankenstein
Summary of Chapter III
•
•
•
•
•
Victor has second thoughts
The creature appears
Victor destroys the female
The creature departs with a threat
Victor is washed ashore in Ireland and arrested for
murder
Vol. 3 – Chapter III
• Victor is sickened by his task and begins to consider the
potentially disastrous effects in creating a mate for the
creature
• The creature howls in despair as V tears apart his mate
before his eyes.
• He returns to curse Victor uttering ‘I shall be with you on
your wedding night!’p173
• He sets off in a boat and throws his instruments into the
sea. He is washed ashore in Ireland and is arrested for
murder.
Volume Three - Chapter V
Frankenstein
Key Events - Chronologically
• Victor has been severely disturbed physically and
physiologically which leads him to finally confesses to his
father “I am the cause of this. William, Justine and Henry –
they all died in my hands”. – pg 189
• Guilty and is under the shadow of bad conscience over
responsibility.
• Victor ‘avoids explanation’ because he doesn’t want to be
‘supposed mad’. This demonstrates his high degree of self
pride. ‘ “I am not mad!” I cried energetically’. - pg 190
• He become restored as time passes then receives a love
letter from Elizabeth concerning ‘our union’ that had been the
‘favorite plan’ of Victor’s parents. – pg 191
• The creature’s still chasing Victor. ‘I will be with you on your
wedding night’ haunts Victor nevertheless decides on an
immovable wedding day. ‘seal to my fate’. – pg 192 and 195
• The wedding takes place and as a married couple Victor and
Elizabeth proceeds to Villa Lavenza for a honeymoon.
‘Elizabeth seemed happy’.- pg 196
• Victor finally seems to find some happiness. ‘What a divine
day! How happy and serene all of nature appears!’ – pg197
• ‘The last moments of my life during which I enjoyed the
feeling of happiness’ – pg 196
• The world is tranquil and chapter ends amidst a scene of
nature. ‘light breeze’, ‘soft air’, ‘sun sank lower in the
heavens’, ‘flower and hay’ – pg 197
• Pathetic fallacy, sun sank – alliteration contrast in language
Chapter IV
Frankenstein
Summary of Chapter IV
• The murdered man is Clerval
• Victor is imprisoned
• His father arrives
• He is eventually acquitted and released
Vol. 3 - Chapter IV
• V is taken to see a corpse and horrified to discover it is
Henry. ‘Have my murderous machinations deprived you
also, my dearest Henry, of life? P181
• V is made to suffer physically and psychologically. P184
& 186
• Victor’s suffering takes tragic proportions.
Chapter VI
Frankenstein
Summary of Chapter VI
During Chapter VI:
• Elizabeth is murdered by The Creature
• Victor is determined to seek revenge
Chapter VI
• Night falls at the start of the chapter and the calm gives
way to a fearful storm.
• Victor becomes increasingly agitated and Elizabeth
questions him.
• ‘this night, and all will be safe: but this night is dreadful,
very dreadful’ (P.g 198)
• Victor anticipates the Creatures arrival and sends Elizabeth
to their room.
• Victor hears a dreadful scream; he rushes to the room to
find Elizabeth’s lifeless form ‘flung by the murderer on its
bridal bier’
Chapter VI
• Victor faints. When he recovers he sees the grinning face of
the creature at the window, pointing towards Elizabeth’s
corpse.
• Victor returns to Geneva, fearing for the rest of his family.
• His father, heartbroken at the news of Elizabeth’s death,
dies.
• Victor spends time in a mental asylum and upon his release
determines upon revenge.
• Victor tells his story to the magistrate who is incredulous;
he claims to believe the story, but refuses to take any
action.
Chapter VI
• Victor becomes enraged and denounces him: ‘Man,’ he
cries, ‘how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom! Cease;
you know not what it is you say’ (P.g 204)
• Victors words could equally serve as his own epitaph.
Volume 3
Chapter VII
Part One
Summary
• Victor leaves Geneva and follows the
creature
• Wants revenge, to try and kill the creature or
die trying (he pursues the creature)
• Victor has dreams (nightmares) as he is
haunted by visions of Elizabeth and Clerval
• The creature put him through suffering
physically and mentally
• Creature warns Victor that they will soon
come face to face
The main points through this
section
• Was overcome with rage, fury and revenge (
wants to kill the creature)
• Leaves Geneva in search of the creature and
the journey was physically hard “failing
limbs.”
• Visits the cemetery where William, Victor’s
father and Elizabeth were reposed (adding to
Victor’s thirst for revenge and his rage)
• Realises only reason he wishes to live is to
kill the creature (asks God to “preserve” his
life until he does or at least has a chance to)
• Victor hears the creatures voice laughing and the cat
and mouse chase starts with Victor trying to come in
contact with the creature
• This went on for many months and was a strain on Victor
physically and also mentally as the creature left only
small clues and sometimes none at all
• His dreams haunted him when as he saw images of
Elizabeth and Clerval “enjoying health” and used to fool
himself that they still lived
• They enter the north pole
• Victor is left with a warning to save his strength as they
will soon come face to face foreboding a battle may take
place
Frankenstein Volume 3 chapter 7
-Frankenstein’s glimpse of the Creature
- Frankenstein’s persuasion of Walton to kill the creature.
-- Walton’s letter to Magraet
Victors sight of the Creature.
•
•
Upon seeing the creature travelling the Victors glimpse of the Creature.
on ice on a dogsled, Frankenstein weeps tears of hope and joy. When he has
almost over taken his enemy, however he inexplicably looses all trace of him.
•
Shortly after, the ice breaks apart and Victor is set adrift on a block of
ice. He is on the brink of death when Walton’s ship appears in the distance
The chase seems almost childish: the creature taunts his creator and
Frankenstein pursues him with no sense for regard or reason. It once again
presents Frankenstein with a challenge the same thing that motivated his
scientific pursuits.
Victors begging of Walton to
kill the Creature
• He despises the idea of dying with his task
unfulfilled.
• “ swear that he shall not triumph over my
accumulated woes”
• Victor begs Walton to kill the creature if he shows
himself to him.
• It appears not to be the creature who brings the
creator to life; perhaps without his desire for
revenge Frankenstein would have died long ago.
Walton’s letter to Margaret
•
•
•
•
•
In the letter dated August 26, 17 — , Walton is now the narrator
for the remainder of the story. Walton tells how Victor proves his
tale by producing the letters of Felix and Safie.
Victor tells Walton to learn from his mistakes, that knowledge for
evil leads to disaster.
Walton comforts Victor in his last days and the two pass the
time discussing other topics, such as literature. Victor tells
Walton that he must carry on the mission to destroy the
creature.
Walton's version of the story is used to make Victor's story more
believable. Walton gives some validity to the story by mentioning
that he sees Victor's letters and the creature.
The first letter reinforces the theme that using knowledge for evil
leads to disaster. Walton and Victor also talk of literature.
We also see that Walton feels for Victor. “Must I then lose this
admirable being! I have longed for a friend; I have sought one
who would sympathise with and love me”. This seems strange as
they have only just converged.