Victor is presented as a tragic hero; someone who had the potential to be good and use his ambition and intelligence to help science progress immensely, but unfortunately his intentions were selfish and arrogant. Shelley critiques the dangers of unchecked ambition through the portrayal of Victor, as his own ambition and creation ends up hunting and destroying his life. Shelley also uses victors character to critique enlightenment ideals, because reason and science without emotional intelligence and responsibility leads to chaos. Victor is initially portrayed as someone who had an idyllic childhood, coming from a noble, rich family, and therefore having potential to be pretty much anything he wants. Unlike those who come from poverty, who sometimes are forced into a life of crime and negativity because of their lack of resources and basic needs, victor has everything he could want and need. This should set him up to be an intelligent person - which he is - but he uses it in the wrong ways, not for the greater good but for selfish reasons. He decides to isolate himself and create the creature, and he says “ Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds... I was surprised that among so many men of genius... I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret.”. This highlights how ambition can be blinding: he genuinely believes that he is unique and above all, with his arrogant and self praising tone, emphasising his narcissistic manner. The phrase “life and death” paints Victor as transgressive, highlighting how he isn’t just curious but wants to play the role of God and wants to be perceived as an all-knowing, all-merciful being, better than those around him and something that no one could compare to. Once he’s created the monster he states “the beauty of the dream had vanished” upon seeing how grotesque and ugly the monster is. This emphasises the judgemental and unempathetic nature of Victor, as you generally aren’t supposed to call your own child ugly. The sudden switch could also further emphasise the fleeting and blinding nature of ambition, as he doesn’t care for it within a split second and he also didn’t notice the ugliness of the features until it came alive, demonstrating how he was so engulfed with the task that he forgot even the main aspect. Victor’s judgement also reflects society’s standards and overcriticalness, as solely on the appearance he decided to discard the project he had been working on for two years. And if his own creator abandoned the monster, then he certainly didn’t stand a chance in the wider world. Victor doesn’t take responsibility for the creature and tries to ignore and repress the thought of it. Shelley is critiquing the consequences of male dominated science and irresponsibility, because it ultimately leads to the creature lashing out to get Victor’s attention. The creature tells him “you may be my creator, but I am your master.” The creature flips the power dynamic, and Victor has now created something stronger and more powerful than him. Shelley uses this to reflect societal anxieties or scientific advancements, because in a society advancing and creating new things at a rapid rate, we also need to be aware of the consequences, rather than just trying to advance regardless without thinking of the moral implications and ethical limits and only thinking of glory. Victor’s overreaching ambition leads to the death of his close family and friends, and even this doesn’t get him to take accountability, allowing an innocent young woman (Justine) to die. Despite Victor’s intelligence, he is morally weak and immature. Victor ends the story haunted by his own actions, and consumed by guilt and regret after his bride Elizabeth dies. He tells Walton “Listen to me, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge”, “seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition.” His didactic tone emphasises his seriousness, and highlights his regret and growth, not thinking of himself for once and not wanting someone else to feel the pain he went through. His ironic advice, which came too late as he didn’t follow it, could demonstrate how he wishes he followed it, and how he now understands and is taking responsibility for how wrong his actions were. His own story becomes a cautionary tale, one that Walton will probably tell his kids and grandkids, in hopes that no one dies a tragic victim of their own actions like Victor does.