Frankenstein I

The latter half of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein provides much irony. One of the biggest uses of irony is Victor's trial for the murder of his friend, Henry. Victor is accused by the townspeople of murdering Henry, as they saw a man on a boat that same night. One woman said she "saw a boat with only one man in it, push off from that part of the shore where the corpse was afterwards found" (129). However, Victor proclaims his innocence. This is ironic to the reader because, although he did not murder Henry directly, it was Victor's fault. Not only did he create the creature that committed the crime, but it was Victor's act of destroying the female creature that drove the monster to murder. If Victor had not broken the deal, his friend would still be alive. There, although Victor is declared innocent, his feelings of guilt should not diminish. For ultimately, the town was indeed correct. Victor Frankenstein is a murderer.