The characters in Frankenstein endure severe suffering, almost akin to the residents of Dante’s ninth circle. Like most tragedies, the hero’s single inescapable vice feeds his actions and ultimate demise. Hamlet’s was indecision; Othello’s was jealousy; and Victor’s is rooted in pride.

A vain egotist throughout most of the book, Victor Frankenstein is so confident and emotionally invested in his bizarre experiment that he appears as a would-be despot:

“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child completely as I should deserve theirs.” (Shelley)

Counter balancing Frankenstein’s cocksure attitude is the Monster, who, thanks to Victor, lives an existence so miserable that one cannot help but pity him. He is one of the rare characters that can commit a heinous crime, smothering a child, and yet a compassionate person may still pity the loathsome and unloved creature. He blatantly declares in the final chapter,

“was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me?” (Shelley)

The ongoing vendetta between Frankenstein and his Monster is quite similar to Moby Dick, in that Captain Ahab is hell-bent on slaying the whale that took his leg, foregoing opportunities to catch other whales and become rich. Ahab exclaims,

“to the last, I will grapple with thee… from Hell’s heart, I stab at thee! For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee!” (Melville)

Not unlike Melville’s sea epic, the apex of Shelley’s novel is when the two rivals cross paths, even though they only interact sparsely. Sadly, neither of these characters is heroic or chivalrous, and since it’s a cautionary tale, that’s probably for the best.