The Moral Conflict In Frankenstein By Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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When individuals have hard choices to make and end up choosing the wrong one, they have it upon themselves to deal with the consequences in a stoic, detached manner to avoid making the same mistake again. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, characters are often clouded by their judgement and end up botching things. Victor Frankenstein is unable to deal with this moral conflict in a logical manner, ultimately harming himself and others around him. Victor Frankenstein ends up morally betraying himself, creating an internal conflict that makes him take dubious choices that consequently lead to his demise. Victor Frankenstein had to deal with hard choices during the time span of the book, and those hard choices led to moral conundrums that …show more content…
As Victor Frankenstein eloquently says, “Three years before, I was engaged in the same manner and had created a fiend whose unparalleled barbarity had desolated my heart and filled it forever with the bitterest remorse”(Shelley 150). When Victor first created the monster he didn’t really foresaw that the consequences would harm not only himself, but others as well. The fiend killed Victor’s brother after being created and made an innocent person pay for it. This demonstrates that his dubious decision didn't pay off, thus resulting in a moral conundrum. As Victor condemns Justine by dwelling on his decision of telling the jury about the fiend’s actions, he states: “It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my …show more content…
He had already promised the fiend a female partner to quench his hatred towards humans; but when he realized that the new fiend was not bound by the initial promise he had arranged with the fiend, he dismantled it. Unfortunately, this invoked the fiend’s rage. As a consequence, the fiend vowed to make him suffer: “Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a snake, that I may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict” (Shelley 153). When Victor broke his promise, the fiend saw his last choice to enjoy life without being rejected, and lashed out towards his creator. He promised to Victor that he would do anything in his power to make him pay for his actions. This decision ruined all efforts to neutralize his terrible situation with himself and the beast. He made yet another dreadful decision that would blind him with rage, ergo, sealing his demise. After suffering the consequences from his actions yet again, Victor swears to find the monster, and at the end of his journey he states: “He is eloquent and persuasive, and once his words had even power over my heart; but trust him not. His soul is as hellish as his form, full of treachery and fiend-like malice. Hear him not; call on the names of William, Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth, my father, and of the wretched Victor, and thrust your sword into his heart. I will hover near and

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