How Is Frankenstein A Tragic Hero

The novel Frankenstein is based on a man named Victor who tells his tragic story to another man, Walton, who like him; is craving knowledge. Victor tells Walton about his tragic story, creating a terrible monster, and his suffering; hoping to inspirer Walton to put a halt to his search for knowledge. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein portrays a tragedy along the guidelines of Aristotle. Aristotle is a Greek Philosopher who wrote many passages about an abundance subjects, such as theater, drama, or science. Eventually Aristotle writes in his journal about what he believes to be the perfect principles for creating a tragedy. In the words of Aristotle, a tragedy must fit the criteria of having three working components incorporated within the story
Frankenstein fits the elements of an Aristotelian tragedy by portraying Victor as a tragic hero with a tragic flaw of craving knowledge, which conclusively leads to his ultimate downfall and
Victors tragic flaw that he receives is the want of knowledge, soon in order to create his own race of humans. Throughout his entire life Victor is constantly looking for ways to expand his knowledge in the theme of life. Victor, when he was in College, went under, “ . . . the search of the philosophers stone and elixir of life . . .” (Shelly 29). This expanded Victors want for knowledge immensely. Victors tragic flaw would finally expose itself soon after he creates his monster, which would lead him to his downfall.Along with a tragic hero, the perfect Aristotelian tragedy must equip their tragic hero with a tragic flaw. This tragic flaw that the tragic hero acquires shows the tragic hero's, “weakness of character, some moral blindness, or error” (Poetics Of Aristotle).This weakness would soon lead to the downfall of the tragic hero.Soon after Victor gathers the necessary information and knowledge his tragic flaw soon begins to spiral out of control when