Similarities Between Victor And Manfred In Frankenstein '

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Victor and Manfred share an important similarity: the desire for radical autonomy. The paths the two characters embark on to follow this desire differ, causing Manfred to be seen a as an admirable protagonist, while Victor’s continuing attempts to attain a defiant autonomy prove to be self-defeating, and he is unable to attain a complete independence because of his responsibility for the monster, which grows and transforms into a dependency of the monster. Although the shared drive of being defiant in their independence is a key factor for the outcomes of both stories, Victor’s inability to be accountable for the responsibility he holds presents a critique of the Byronic hero in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrating that without the ability …show more content…

He exemplifies this when he refuses to trade “lots” with the Chamois hunter saying that he can bear it no matter how wretched it may be (Manfred. II. 74-77). Because he takes accountability for this he is able to grow and become radical independent through the progress of the play. He transitions to defiant autonomy when Astarte refuses to provide forgiveness (III. 154-155). After this event, a spirit describes the change within Manfred: “Yet, see, he mastereth himself, and makes his torture tributary to his will” (III. 160-161). By taking accountability Manfred is able to harness his grievances and turn them into a means of promoting his will. The power he commands over himself shows a growth appropriate for his environment and being successful in the act of achieving this reprieve on his own shows him as …show more content…

It is in his desire to be beheld as godlike only logical: “did [he] not, as his maker, owe him all the portion of happiness that is in [his] power to bestow?” (157). He saw this opportunity not only as a way to finally rid himself of the monster, but also extricate himself from his family: “I was delighted at the idea of spending a year or two in a change of scene…” (163). However, he cannot abide by the promise because it is not something he can easily ignore or run away from. Thus, Victor breaks his promise in a most dramatic fashion: “I thought with a sensation of madness on my promise of creating another like to him, and, trembling with passion, tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged” (175). This act temporarily rids him of the unwanted responsibility, but catapults him into a dependency upon the monster. This dependency is strengthened after Elizabeth’s death, demonstrated by the seemingly endless and nonsensical journey the monster leads Victor on. The monster captivates Victor, and keeps him engaged in the chase; even assuring his health by providing him with sustenance and guiding his path by leaving “marks in writing on the barks of the trees, or cut in stone” as to not let him be led astray or lost

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