Frankenstein: Character Profiles

Victor Frankenstein: An ambitious scientist who, driven by the desire to create life, ends up creating a monster which eventually leads to his downfall.
The Monster: Victor’s creation, who, scorned by society for his hideous appearance, embarks on a path of vengeance against his creator.
Robert Walton: The explorer who Victor entrusts his horrific tale to, serving as a cautionary figure who curbs his own ambition to avoid a fate similar to Victor’s.
Henry Clerval: Victor’s closest friend, representing a pure and benevolent human being whose death marks the true descent of Victor into despair.
Elizabeth Lavenza: Victor’s adopted sister and later wife, whose death at the hands of the monster further intensifies Victor’s guilt and self-reproach.
The Parents of Victor Frankenstein: Figures of ideal domesticity who foster Victor’s passion for learning but unknowingly contribute to his misguided ambition.
William: Victor’s youngest brother, whose death at the hands of the monster triggers the series of tragedies in the novel.
Justine: The Frankenstein family’s servant, wrongfully accused and executed for William’s death, which symbolises the manipulation and corruption of the judicial system.
The DeLaceys: A loving family whom the monster observes and learns from, symbolising humanity’s potential goodness and capacity for acceptance.
Safie: Daughter of the DeLaceys’ Turkish friend and a symbol of the oppressed, her will to be independent and free strongly contrasts with Victor’s relentless pursuit of dangerous knowledge.