Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein novel)

Biography
Alphonse Frankenstein and Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein gave birth to their first son, Victor, in Naples, Italy in 1770. He was born during a time when his parents were touring Europe performing missionary work for small impoverished communities. In 1775, the Frankensteins discovered an orphan girl named Elizabeth Lavenza living in squalor in the Italian village of Como in Milan. They took her in and raised her alongside Victor as his adopted sister.

Growing up, Victor discovered a passion for learning, and was particularly interested in natural science. By thirteen he was reading the works of learned scholars such as Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. Even at such a young age, Victor grew obsessed, and was inspired towards pursuing a life dedicated to science.

In 1788, Victor left his home in Geneva and attended school at the University of Ingolstadt. Studying under men such as Professor Waldman and Professor Krempe, Victor eventually turned away from natural science and began studying human anatomy.

By 1791, Victor discovered the very secret of life itself. He had learned how to reanimate dead tissue, and sought to create a fully functional living being never before seen on Earth. Sequestering himself to his private laboratory in Ingolstadt, Victor cut off all ties with his family and friends and threw himself into his work. He began collecting the remains of corpses, sewing together viable organs and limbs until he constructed a large patchwork man. In July of 1792, Victor treated his subject to a chemical process that brought the being to life. The being was alive, but horribly scarred and monstrous. Terrified by his own creation, Victor fled from his laboratory, abandoning his creation.

He eventually returned to his family in Geneva, but never told them the truth about what took place at Ingolstadt. Two years later, Victor's worst fears came back to haunt him. In May of 1794, Victor's youngest brother, William, was found dead – a victim of strangulation. The Frankenstein's housekeeper and family friend, Justine Moritz was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to hang. Justine was in fact innocent, and it was only a short time later that Victor learned that it was actually his "monster" that had murdered young William.

The monster wanted revenge on Victor for abandoning him and the two eventually faced each other in an icy cave in the northern hills. The monster, now gifted with the power of speech and intellect, told Victor what he had experienced in the past two years, and now demanded that his "father" create a mate for him. He promised that if Victor agreed to give him a partner that he could love, then he would leave Europe with his bride, never to return.

Victor was sickened at the prospect, but felt that he had little recourse but to accept the monster's terms. He began collecting bodies of the recently deceased, and the monster provided him a fresh heart to use in the experiment. Victor brought this second creature to life, but immediately realized that such an act was an affront to God, and he refused to take responsibility for bringing two such monsters into the world. As he watched this Bride of Frankenstein shamble across the floor, Victor lunged at her, stabbing her with a knife until she fell over dead.

The monster was enraged at Victor's betrayal and took his revenge by strangling Victor's close friend, Henry Clerval. Victor was arrested for the crime, but his father was able to plead his case and bail him out of prison.

Victor returned home to Geneva, where he married his lifelong lover and "sister" Elizabeth. The shadow of the monster's vengeance perpetually hung over him however, and in 1797, the monster tracked them down and murdered Elizabeth on their honeymoon. Victor's father, Alphonse, passed away soon after.

Despondent and lonely, Victor Frankenstein began a journey to hunt the monster down and destroy him. He tracked him as far as the North Pole, but by this point, Victor's health began to suffer and he was ill-equipped to continue the chase much further. Pneumonia eventually set in and he was unable to continue. An explorer named Robert Walton found Victor near death in the snow and ice and brought him on board his ship. Victor told Walton the story of his horrific creation and the terrible price he paid for his relentless obsession. After concluding his tale, Victor Frankenstein passed away.

Notes & Trivia

 * The character of Victor Frankenstein has been presented in nearly every adaptation of Mary Shelley's work, but usually with drastic alterations.