Frankenstein Guilt Quotes
Guilt and confession have played a significant role in condemning different characters in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to death. As the story progresses, several murders take place. These murders were never solved with substantial evidence. Justine's conviction, Frankenstein's conviction, and the monster's final confession all originate from guilt and end in a condemning to death. This essay will attempt to prove how guilt leads to a confession which leads to a condemning to death in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.
Justine was said to have confessed falsely to the murder of William. She tells Elizabeth this: "I did confess, but I confessed to a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution. Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged …show more content…
of life? Two I have already destroyed; other victims await their destiny…." [Pg. 148] In this quote, Frankenstein confesses to be the cause of the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry. Frankenstein's guilt of creating a murderous monstrosity drove him to confess to murdering his family and friends because he believed that his creation, which was created by his hand, was what murdered his family and friends. We do not know whether or not the monster did kill his family and friends however. Shortly after Frankenstein's confession to the judge and jury (and later, his father) for these murders, he was also condemned to death. This is an underlying parallel in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Both Justine and Frankenstein were made to believe their selves guilty of a crime that no one could substantially prove to the judge and jury, yet they both confessed guilty to the judge and jury after only circumstantial evidence was presented to the judge and jury. The key question to this confession is: Did Frankenstein's creation kill his family and friends? Or was it that he killed his family and friends, but deluded his own guilt of murdering his family and friends, to a false guilt of creating a being which destroyed his family and friends? The monster's last confession may or may not have been a false confession. Frankenstein has told to Walton that it was his creation that murdered his family and friends; however, although the
Justine was said to have confessed falsely to the murder of William. She tells Elizabeth this: "I did confess, but I confessed to a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution. Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged …show more content…
of life? Two I have already destroyed; other victims await their destiny…." [Pg. 148] In this quote, Frankenstein confesses to be the cause of the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry. Frankenstein's guilt of creating a murderous monstrosity drove him to confess to murdering his family and friends because he believed that his creation, which was created by his hand, was what murdered his family and friends. We do not know whether or not the monster did kill his family and friends however. Shortly after Frankenstein's confession to the judge and jury (and later, his father) for these murders, he was also condemned to death. This is an underlying parallel in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Both Justine and Frankenstein were made to believe their selves guilty of a crime that no one could substantially prove to the judge and jury, yet they both confessed guilty to the judge and jury after only circumstantial evidence was presented to the judge and jury. The key question to this confession is: Did Frankenstein's creation kill his family and friends? Or was it that he killed his family and friends, but deluded his own guilt of murdering his family and friends, to a false guilt of creating a being which destroyed his family and friends? The monster's last confession may or may not have been a false confession. Frankenstein has told to Walton that it was his creation that murdered his family and friends; however, although the