The Creature

Basic information

Full Name Unknown Alias The Creature The Monster Frankenstein's Monster The Sharp Featured Man The Frankenstein Monster Frankenstein Adam Gerhardt Frankenstein (Once Upon a Time) Franky Caliban Frankie Wretch Devil Demon Beast Fiend Adam of Your Labors Enemy Being It Ogre Spawn Thing Spectre Origin Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Occupation Creation of Dr. Victor Frankenstein Vagabond Powers / Skills Superhuman strength Superhuman speed Incredible adeptness (original novel and 1994 film) Indestructibility (Boris Karloff version) Hobby Reading Paradise Lost and other books. Stealing food. Playing with children. Getting revenge on his creator. Goals Integrate himself into society and have a family (failed). Force Doctor Frankenstein to make him a bride (succeeded at first, but ultimately failed). Seek revenge on his creator (succeeded, but later regretted it). Crimes Serial murder Incrimination Arson Stalking Animal cruelty Theft Mutilation Destruction Type of Villain Tragic Monster

Information

Frankenstein's monster, also known as Adam, The Creature, The Monster, and often erroneously called simply "Frankenstein", is the main antagonist of the classic gothic horror novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by the late Mary Shelley, and its many adaptations. He is an inhuman creature created by the scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein through a "scientific method" that allowed him to create life from non-living matter. Although he would turn out to be deformed and terrify his creator into abandoning him, the Creature would turn out to be a peaceful and intelligent being who sought companionship. However, after being made an outcast and mistreated by humanity, he would become obsessed with getting revenge on his creator for his abandonment. Since his creation in 1816, Frankenstein's Monster has become recognized as one of the most tragic villains in fictional history, and a pivotal character in horror fiction. He has gone on to inspire countless adaptations in other media; although many have been known to downplay his intelligence and alter his appearance significantly.

Personality

Since Frankenstein is such a famous tale, it has been adapted many times, and, subsequently, the creature has had many different takes on him over the years, both visually, and in terms of his personality, but many of his traits are fairly consistent: He is deeply dissatisfied and depressed about life in general, holds a grudge against his creator, and is generally afraid of humanity due to its judgmental prejudice against him based solely on his grotesque appearance. Despite his terrifying and zombie-like appearance, the creature harbours the same emotions like any other human, and the same desires: Love, friendship, and acceptance into society. Whenever he reaches out, he is faced with fear and aggression, is rejected and driven away, and his bitter loneliness manifests into a seething hatred for his creator. Despite this, he does not hate humanity, generally avoiding humans, and will only harm others in either self-defence or, in a bid to harm Frankenstein, those whom Frankenstein holds dear. While he generally is portrayed as a miserable and embittered pariah, his intellect varies greatly depending on the adaptation. While in the book he was strategizing, somewhat educated, and highly cunning, this was eclipsed by his perhaps more iconic depiction in the Universal movies. In these, he seldom spoke, although when he did, his words carried a great deal of gravity and cryptic meaning to them. Because he was largely mute, later adaptations mistook this for stupidity and would portray the creature as an imbecilic man-child, and the Hammer series completely removed his lonely side, making him a cold-blooded murderer with severe retardation.

Personality

Many forms of popular culture would later emulate the guttural and largely mute creature. In the novel, the Monster was a vegetarian, eating berries, nuts, roots, leaves, bread, cheese, and milk, although he detested wine (In the Universal canon, the creature enjoyed alcohol and smoking). Later, however, he killed a hare for Frankenstein to eat. Prior to his rejection, the creature was friendly, naïve, and helpful towards people, saving a little girl from drowning (only for her father to mistake this for an attack and shoot him) and fed a poor family and helped manage their farm in a bid to befriend them (though this ended in bitter failure).

Biography

Novel The Monster made his first appearance in the 1818 novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. He is described as having wrinkled parchment-like skin which barely covered his blood vessels, black lips, black hair, and yellow eyes. He was created on a rainy November night in the late 18th century Ingolstadt, Germany, by the medical student Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein is so horrified by his creation that he flees the house, leaving the Monster alone and unaware of who or what he is. The Monster takes a jacket to clothe himself and eventually wanders off into the wild. He spends a lengthy period of time learning to survive. Any humans he comes across are so frightened by his appearance that they run from him, just as Frankenstein had done. The Monster eventually takes up abode in a small hovel that abuts a cottage. He listens to the inhabitants, the De Lacey family, through a hole in the wall and learns to speak and read from their example. His first reading materials are several books that he finds in a castoff suitcase, including the works of John Milton, Plutarch, and Johann Wilhelm Goethe. The Monster also reads a series of papers that he has found in his jacket, which turns out to be Frankenstein's notes. Through these, he discovers his origins and learns that Frankenstein lives in Geneva, Switzerland. The Monster grows to love the De Laceys during his time as their "neighbor" and decides to reveal himself to the blind father while his grown children are out. However, the children return and discover him with their father, and drive him from the house. The De Lacey family then abandon their cottage, likely fearing the Monster's return. Enraged at how the whole of humanity has treated him, the Monster sets fire to the cottage, and swears revenge on Frankenstein for bringing him into a world that hates him. He travels to Geneva, where he manages to save a beautiful young girl from drowning.

Biography

However, he is shot by the girl's father, who mistakenly thinks her is trying to hurt her. A few weeks after his wounds heal, he meets a young boy and tries to befriend him. The boy, Frankenstein's brother William, shrieks that he will send his father, Judge Frankenstein, after him. Upon learning that the boy is a Frankenstein, the Monster strangles him to death and takes a portrait of Frankenstein's mother. The Monster moves on and finds a young woman asleep in a barn. On an evil impulse, the Monster places the locket on her person, effectively framing her for William's murder. It is only after the police arrest her that the Monster realizes that she is Justine Moritz, the Frankensteins' servant. Justine is found guilty of William's murder and hanged. In order to collect his thoughts, Frankenstein ascends into the Alps. The Monster confronts him there and pressures him into creating a female creature so he can have a mate; he promises that if he is given this, he will disappear and never trouble humanity again, but otherwise he will destroy Frankenstein and make him wish he was never born. Frankenstein agrees and travels to Scotland, where he begins the process of creating a female. The Monster follows him and watches with eager anticipation. At the last minute, however, Frankenstein decides not to go through with it, fearing that giving the Monster a mate will result in the propagation of a race of inhuman, undead creatures. The enraged Monster swears to Frankenstein that he will be with him on his wedding night. The Monster then kills Frankenstein's friend Henry Clerval. True to his word, the Monster kills Frankenstein's new bride, Elizabeth Lavenza, on the night of his wedding; he is also indirectly responsible for the death of Frankenstein's father, who dies of grief after Elizabeth's body is found.

Biography

he is also indirectly responsible for the death of Frankenstein's father, who dies of grief after Elizabeth's body is found. Now with nothing to live for, Frankenstein swears vengeance and pursues the Monster to the Arctic, where he falls into the freezing waters and is picked up by a ship heading for the North Pole. Frankenstein tells his story to the expedition's leader, and later dies of pneumonia. The Monster shows up not long after to gloat over Frankenstein's lifeless body, but upon seeing his creator dead, he is overcome with remorse; the only man who had ever really known him is dead, and the Monster is truly alone in the world. He announces that he will reach the Pole and destroy himself on a funeral pyre. He jumps from the ship and disappears into the distance.

Appearance

Mary Shelley describes Frankenstein's monster as having the following physical characteristics: Height: 8 feet tall Skin: Translucent, yellowish, and pulled taut over the body Eyes: Watery and glowing Hair: Flowing black Lips: Black Teeth: Prominent and pearly white Shelley also describes the monster as having a hideous contrast of features, with the unnatural colors and their combinations creating a disfigured form. For example, the monster's watery eyes contrast with the dun-white sockets in which they are set. The monster's face also contorts when he is angry, mimicking the stitches in his body. The monster was created by Victor Frankenstein from old body parts and chemicals, and animated by a mysterious spark. Victor intended the monster to have beautiful features, but the result was hideous.