Dare to explore the dark consequences of unchecked ambition? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein remains a chilling cornerstone of Gothic literature and science fiction.
Follow Victor Frankenstein’s disastrous attempt to play God and the tragic journey of his intelligent, tormented creation. Need the quotes that capture the novel’s profound themes of creation, isolation, revenge, and humanity?
This collection gathers 83 essential quotes, organized by volume and chapter, referencing page numbers to help guide your reading and analysis.
*Please see the important note on page numbers at the end.*
Frankenstein Quotes Volume I
Volume I introduces Robert Walton’s ambitious Arctic expedition and his encounter with the tormented Victor Frankenstein, who then recounts his idyllic childhood, burgeoning scientific curiosity, and the fateful creation of his monstrous being.
Letters
The novel opens with letters from explorer Robert Walton to his sister, setting a frame narrative focused on ambition, loneliness, and the desire for companionship.
“Nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose- a point on which the soul can focus its intellectual eye”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 8
“My education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 8
“I also became a poet, and for one year lived in a Paradise of my own creation; I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 8
“My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path… My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate, and my spirits are often depressed.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 9
“But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy… I have no friend, Margaret… I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine… I bitterly feel the want of a friend.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 11
“Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature… Such a man has a double existence: he may suffer misery… yet, when he has retired into himself, he will be like a celestial spirit…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Robert Walton about Victor), Volume 1, Letters, Page 18
“I agree with you… we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves — such a friend ought to be — do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures. I once had a friend… You have hope… But I — I have lost everything, and cannot begin life anew.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein to Walton), Volume 1, Letters, Page 19
Walton’s encounter sets the stage for Victor to narrate his own tragic history, beginning with his upbringing in Geneva.
Chapter 1
Victor describes his happy childhood in Geneva, introducing his adopted sister Elizabeth Lavenza and his close friend Henry Clerval, contrasting their dispositions with his own burgeoning scientific curiosity.
“The world was to me a secret, which I desired to discover; to her it was a vacancy, which she sought to people with imaginations of her own.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator, about himself and Elizabeth), Volume 1, Chapter 1, Page 26
“I feel pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 1, Page 27
A family tragedy and Victor’s departure for university mark the end of his idyllic youth and the beginning of his fateful scientific pursuits.
Chapter 2
Victor mourns his mother’s death and prepares to leave for the University of Ingolstadt, feeling apprehensive about leaving his sheltered life but eager for knowledge. He encounters professors who dismiss his early alchemical studies, pushing him toward modern science.
“I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil… It is so long before the mind can persuade itself that she whom we saw every day… can have departed forever… My mother was dead, but we had still duties which we ought to perform…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 2, Page 32
“I… indulged in the most melancholy reflections… I was now alone… I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers… but as I proceeded, my spirits and hopes rose. I ardently desired the acquisition of knowledge.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 2, Page 33
“It was very different when the masters of science sought immortality and power; such views, although futile, were grand: but now the scene was changed… I was required to exchange chimeras of boundless grandeur for realities of little worth.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 2, Pages 34, 35
“A man would make but a very sorry chemist if he attended to that department of human knowledge alone.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: M. Waldman), Volume 1, Chapter 2, Page 36
Inspired by M. Waldman, Victor plunges into his studies, becoming consumed by the secrets of life and death.
Chapter 3
Victor excels in his studies, driven by an obsessive desire to uncover the secret of life. He isolates himself, neglecting health and relationships, as he works towards his great and terrible creation.
“None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 39
“With how many things are we on the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 39
“I do not ever remember to have trembled at a tale of superstition… Darkness had no effect upon my fancy, and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 40
“Learn from me… how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 41
“A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind… If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections… then that study is certainly unlawful…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 3, Pages 43, 44
Victor achieves his goal but is immediately horrified by the being he has animated, abandoning it in disgust.
Chapter 4
The moment of creation arrives, but brings horror instead of triumph. Victor describes the hideousness of his creature and his immediate repulsion, leading him to abandon his creation and fall into illness.
“The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 4, Page 45
Nursed back to health by Clerval, Victor tries to recover, but a letter bearing tragic news from home shatters his fragile peace.
Chapter 5
Victor slowly recovers under Clerval’s care, finding solace in nature. However, a letter arrives detailing the murder of his younger brother, William, compelling Victor to return to Geneva.
“When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensations.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 5, Page 58
Returning home, Victor becomes convinced his creation is responsible for William’s death, deepening his guilt and despair.
Chapter 6
Victor arrives in Geneva to find the family servant, Justine Moritz, accused of William’s murder. Despite Victor’s certainty of the creature’s guilt, he remains silent as Justine is condemned.
“Enter the house of mourning, my friend, but with kindness and affection for those who love you, and not with hatred for your enemies.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Alphonse Frankenstein), Volume 1, Chapter 6, Page 62
“I contempleted the lake; the waters were placid, all around was calm… the calm and heavenly scene restored me…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume 1, Chapter 6, Page 63
Justine’s unjust execution plunges Victor further into misery, setting the stage for the second volume’s confrontations.
Chapter 7
Justine is executed. Elizabeth eloquently defends her but fails to sway the court. Victor is consumed by guilt, recognizing the consequences of his creation.
“It may…be judged indecent in me to come forward… but when I see a fellow-creature about to perish through the cowardice of her pretended friends, I wish to be allowed to speak…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Volume 1, Chapter 7, Page 75
“When one creature is murdered, another is immediately deprived of life in a slow torturing manner…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Volume 1, Chapter 7, Page 76
“But her’s was the misery of innocence, which, like a cloud that passes over the fair moon, for a while hides, but cannot tarnish its brightness.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator about Justine), Volume 1, Chapter 7, Page 77
Seeking solace in nature, Victor’s retreat is interrupted by the very being he created, leading to a pivotal confrontation.
Frankenstein Volume II Quotes
Haunted by guilt, Victor seeks refuge in the Alps. There, he is confronted by his creation, who eloquently recounts his story of suffering, rejection, and burgeoning rage, demanding Victor create a female companion for him.
Chapter 1
Victor wanders, tormented by guilt over William and Justine’s deaths. His father tries to console him, but Victor finds only temporary solace in solitude and nature.
“Nothing is more painful to the human mind than… the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows and deprives the soul both of hope and fear.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume II, Chapter 1, Page 81
“I shunned the face of man; all sound of joy or complacency was torture to me; solitude was my only consolation—deep, dark, death-like solitude.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume II, Chapter 1, Page 81
“…is it not a duty to the survivors that we should refrain from augmenting their unhappiness by an appearance of immoderate grief?… excessive sorrow prevents improvement or enjoyment…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Alphonse Frankenstein), Volume II, Chapter 1, Page 82
“But now misery has come home, and men appear to me as monsters thirsting for each other’s blood.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Volume II, Chapter 1, Page 83
“When falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Volume II, Chapter 1, Page 84
Seeking refuge high in the Alps, Victor encounters his creation amidst the glaciers.
Chapter 2
Victor travels to the valley of Chamonix. While exploring the Mer de Glace glacier, he is confronted by his monstrous creation, who demands Victor hear his story.
“The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnising my mind and causing me to forget the passing cares of life.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 88
“Alas! Why does man boast of sensibilities superior to those apparent in the brute; it only renders them more necessary beings…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 88
“We rest; A dream has power to poison sleep… Man’s yesterday may ne’er be like his morrow; Nought may endure but mutability!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein reciting/reflecting on Percy Shelley’s “Mutability”), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 88
“My heart, which was before sorrowful, now swelled with something like joy; I exclaimed, “Wandering spirits… allow me this faint happiness…””
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 89
“Devil, do you dare approach me? and do you not fear the fierce vengeance of my arm…?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein to the Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 89
“I expected this reception. All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated… Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me… Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 90
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 90
“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 90
“Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would… destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Page 91
“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 2, Pages 90-91
Compelled by a mix of fear and reluctant curiosity, Victor agrees to hear the creature’s tale.
Chapter 3
The creature recounts his earliest experiences: confusion, sensory overload, discovering fire, and initial, frightening encounters with humans who reject him based on his appearance.
“Here then I retreated, and lay down, happy to have found a shelter, however miserable, from the inclemency of the season, and still more from the barbarity of man.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 3, Page 97
Observing the De Lacey family from afar, the creature begins to learn about human language, emotions, and society.
Chapter 5
The creature learns language and history by observing the De Laceys. He grapples with the contradictions of human nature and begins to understand his own monstrous isolation.
“These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base?… I turned away with disgust and loathing.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 5, Page 110
“I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow-creatures were, high and unsullied descent united with riches… And what was I? Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant… Was I then a monster…?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 5, Page 111
“Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind… I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 5, Page 111
Finding Victor’s journals and reading foundational texts further deepens the creature’s understanding and anguish.
Chapter 7
The creature reads Victor’s notes alongside books like *Paradise Lost*, leading to profound existential questions and despair about his origins and alienation.
“I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 119
“As I read… I found myself similar, yet at the same time strangely unlike to the beings concerning whom I read… Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 120
“Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflections… I felt the greatest ardour for virtue rise within me, and abhorrence for vice.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 120
“Hateful day when I received life!… Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?… Satan had his companions… but I am solitary and abhorred.’”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 122
“Increase of knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 122
“I allowed my thoughts… to ramble in the fields of Paradise… But it was all a dream: no Eve soothed my sorrows… I was alone.”
~Mary Shelley , Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 123
“I asked… for greater treasures than a little food or rest: I required kindness and sympathy…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 123
“Do not despair. To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate, but the hearts of men… are full of brotherly love and charity.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Old Man De Lacey to the Monster), Volume II, Chapter 7, Page 125
Despite his hopes, the creature’s attempt to connect with the De Laceys ends in violent rejection, fueling his rage and despair.
Chapter 8
Rejected by the De Laceys, the creature declares war on humanity. He recounts his journey to Geneva, framing Justine for William’s murder, and solidifies his demand for a female companion.
“Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 8, Page 128
“Anguish and despair had penetrated into the core of my heart; I bore a hell within me, which nothing could extinguish.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 8, Page 128
The creature finishes his tale, placing Victor in a terrible dilemma: fulfill the demand or face escalating vengeance.
Chapter 9
The creature passionately argues for a female companion, promising to disappear if Victor complies and threatening terrible revenge if refused.
“One as deformed and horrible as myself, could not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species… with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 9, Page 136
“If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 9, Page 137
“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 9, Page 137
“If I have no ties and no affections, hatred and vice must be my portion; the love of another will destroy the cause of my crimes… My vices are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume II, Chapter 9, Page 139
Reluctantly, Victor agrees, setting the stage for the ill-fated journey and broken promise of Volume Three.
Frankenstein Volume III Quotes
Volume III follows Victor’s tormented journey, his destruction of the female creature, and the devastating chain of revenge enacted by the monster, culminating in tragedy and Arctic pursuit.
Chapter 1
Victor prepares for his grim task, traveling to England for scientific knowledge. Henry Clerval joins him, providing temporary companionship.
“I have seen,” he said, “the most beautiful scenes… but this country, Victor, pleases me more… Oh, surely, the spirit that inhabits and guards this place has a soul more in harmony with man…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Henry Clerval to Victor), Volume III, Chapter 1, Pages 150, 151
Victor’s travels are fraught with anxiety as he procrastinates, finding brief solace in nature but haunted by his task.
Chapter 2
Victor travels through England and Scotland, increasingly burdened. He seeks isolation on a remote Orkney island to begin creating the female creature.
“I enjoyed this scene; and yet my enjoyment was embittered… I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 2, Page 155
“But he found that a traveller’s life is one that includes much pain amidst its enjoyments. His feelings are for ever on the stretch…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Narrator about Clerval/travel), Volume III, Chapter 2, Page 156
Alone on the island, Victor works but is plagued by doubts and the monster’s reappearance.
Chapter 3
Victor nearly completes the female creature but destroys her. The monster vows revenge on Victor’s wedding night. Victor disposes of the remains and is adrift at sea.
“Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master;–obey!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume III, Chapter 3, Page 162
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume III, Chapter 3, Page 163
“my feelings became calmer, if it may be called calmness when the violence of rage sinks into the depths of despair”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 3, Page 164
“I looked upon the sea, it was to be my grave”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 3, Page 166
“How mutable are our feelings, and how strange is that clinging love we have of life even in the excess of misery!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 3, Page 167
Washing ashore in Ireland, Victor is immediately accused of Clerval’s murder.
Chapter 4
Victor is accused of murdering Henry Clerval. Overwhelmed by grief and horror, Victor falls gravely ill and is imprisoned.
“The whole series of my life appeared to me as a dream; I sometimes doubted if indeed it were all true…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 4, Page 172
“The cup of life was poisoned for ever… I saw around me nothing but a dense and frightful darkness…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 4, Page 176
“…take me where I may forget myself, my existence, and all the world.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 4, Page 177
Victor’s father secures his release, but Victor remains haunted by the monster’s threat against Elizabeth.
Chapter 5
Acquitted but broken, Victor returns to Geneva. He agrees to marry Elizabeth despite the monster’s looming threat.
“if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet… I shall need no other happiness.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza in letter to Victor), Volume III, Chapter 5, Page 182
“Heavy misfortunes have befallen us, but let us only cling closer to what remains…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Alphonse Frankenstein), Volume III, Chapter 5, Page 184
Despite foreboding, Victor proceeds with the wedding, tragically misinterpreting the monster’s threat.
Chapter 6
On their wedding night, Victor patrols anxiously, expecting the monster to attack him, only to hear Elizabeth’s screams as the creature fulfills his vow by murdering Victor’s bride.
“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 6, Page 191
“Man,” I cried, “how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein), Volume III, Chapter 6, Page 194
Devastated, Victor vows vengeance and begins his relentless pursuit of the monster.
Chapter 7
Victor recounts his pursuit into the Arctic. The narrative returns to Walton’s ship, where Victor dies. The monster appears, mourns Victor, explains his suffering, and vows to destroy himself.
“My life, as it passes thus, was indeed hateful to me, and it was during sleep alone that I could taste joy. O blessed sleep!”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator during pursuit), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 197
“My reign is not yet over… Follow me; I seek the everlasting ices of the north… Come on, my enemy; we have yet to wrestle for our lives…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 198
“… the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 205
“did you not call this a glorious expedition?… not because the way was smooth… but because it was full of dangers and terror…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein addressing Walton’s crew), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 207
“Oh! Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock… Return as heroes…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein to Walton’s crew), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 208
“My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture…”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster to Walton), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 212
“The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster to Walton), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 214
“I have murdered the lovely and the helpless… You hate me; but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster to Walton), Volume III, Chapter 7, Pages 214, 215
“Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death?”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 215
“But soon,” he cried… “I shall die… Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pyre triumphantly… My spirit will sleep in peace… Farewell.”
~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster‘s final words), Volume III, Chapter 7, Page 216
Common Frankenstein Quote Questions
Beware For I am fearless and therefore powerful. page number
The Monster speaks this chilling line in Volume III, Chapter 3, on Page 163.
If I cannot inspire love I will cause fear page number
This pivotal declaration by the Monster is found in Volume II, Chapter 9, on Page 137.
I was benevolent and good Frankenstein page number
The Monster reflects on his initial nature near the end of Volume II, Chapter 2, on Pages 90-91.
Important Note on Page Numbers:
Page numbers cited (e.g., Page 8) reference the **Penguin Classics, January 16, 2018 paperback edition** of *Frankenstein* (ISBN-13: 978-0143131847). They WILL vary across different editions. Please verify against your specific edition.
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.