Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the antagonist and protagonist changes throughout the course of the plot. In the earlier part of the novel nature is the protagonist and man is the antagonist, but as the plot progresses nature is forced to protect herself by becoming the antagonist and making man the protagonist. By the end of the novel both of the examples of man and nature’s antagonist characteristics lead to their inevitable destruction.

In the beginning of the novel, Victor or man, is the antagonist and nature is the protagonist. Victor’s overwhelming hubris makes him strive to achieve his goal by any means necessary. Victor becomes so blinded by his passion for his goal that he fails to see the evil in what he is achieving. Nature, on the other hand, is the obvious protagonist, because Nature has not done anything. The role of antagonist and protagonist changes throughout the rest of the novel, but nevertheless, Victor is the antagonist because of the theme man cannot augment nature without destroying the very thing he is attempting to perfect.

When the monster (also Nature) is created, the role of antagonist and protagonist changes due to enforcement. When the monster was created, it wasn’t the antagonist. It tried to do many good things such as saving a small girl. Those good deeds were never rewarded, causing the monster to be disgusted with humanity making it, by...

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