The Creature đź”’ Members
Gothic and horror. From Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818). A creature of superhuman strength and eloquence, created by Victor Frankenstein, who suffers profound isolation and becomes a vengeful murderer.
Age and build
Gigantic stature exceeding human height
“its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect more hideous than belongs to humanity” (Frankenstein, part 11)
More powerful and agile than humans with superior joints
“Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is superior to thine, my joints more supple” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Can endure extreme temperatures better than humans
“I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame” (Frankenstein, part 17)
Face and hair
Yellow skin stretched over muscles and arteries
“His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath” (Frankenstein, part 9)
Lustrous black flowing hair
“his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing” (Frankenstein, part 9)
Pearly white teeth
“his teeth of a pearly whiteness” (Frankenstein, part 9)
Watery eyes of dun-white colour with shrivelled complexion
“his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips” (Frankenstein, part 9)
Expression of wildness and madness, yet capable of benevolence
“his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and even madness, but there are moments when, if anyone performs an act of kindness towards him or does him any the most trifling service, his whole countenance is lighted up, as it were, with a beam of benevolence and sweetness” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Countenance expressing bitter anguish, disdain and malignity
“his countenance bespoke bitter anguish, combined with disdain and malignity, while its unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too horrible for human eyes” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Grin on face when jeering at corpse
“A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of my wife” (Frankenstein, part 27)
Dress
The book is silent here, so we keep this plain and neutral.
Voice and speech
Words culled with choicest art, flowing with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence
“when he speaks, although his words are culled with the choicest art, yet they flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Eloquent and persuasive, capable of moving passions of pity and love
“His eloquence is forcible and touching; nor can I hear him, when he relates a pathetic incident or endeavours to move the passions of pity or love, without tears” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Inarticulate sounds when first animated
“His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks” (Frankenstein, part 9)
Smothered voice when approaching in darkness
“Shutting the door, he approached me and said in a smothered voice” (Frankenstein, part 24)
Signature words
Refers to himself as creature and wretch
“I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Addresses Victor as creator and maker
“Oh, Frankenstein, be not equitable to every other and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Invokes revenge repeatedly
“I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred” (Frankenstein, part 21)
Describes himself as miserable and alone
“I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth” (Frankenstein, part 19)
Claims benevolence as his nature
“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Gait and mannerisms
Bounds over ice with superhuman speed
“He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked with caution” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Gnashes teeth in impatience and rage
“sometimes he gnashes his teeth, as if impatient of the weight of woes that oppresses him” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Gnashes teeth in impotence of anger
“The monster saw my determination in my face and gnashed his teeth in the impotence of anger” (Frankenstein, part 24)
Gives vent to anguish in fearful howlings
“I gave vent to my anguish in fearful howlings. I was like a wild beast that had broken the toils, destroying the objects that obstructed me and ranging through the wood with a stag-like swiftness” (Frankenstein, part 20)
Moves with swiftness of lightning
“running with the swiftness of lightning, plunged into the lake” (Frankenstein, part 27)
Manners are conciliating and gentle
“his manners are so conciliating and gentle that the sailors are all interested in him” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Strengths
Superior physical power and agility
“Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is superior to thine, my joints more supple” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Eloquence and persuasive speech
“His eloquence is forcible and touching; nor can I hear him, when he relates a pathetic incident or endeavours to move the passions of pity or love, without tears” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Capacity for learning and knowledge
“On every point of general literature he displays unbounded knowledge and a quick and piercing apprehension” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Ability to survive extreme cold and traverse ice
“a creature who could exist in the ice-caves of the glaciers and hide himself from pursuit among the ridges of inaccessible precipices” (Frankenstein, part 21)
Initial capacity for benevolence and virtue
“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Flaws
Consumed by desire for revenge
“I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind” (Frankenstein, part 21)
Commits murder out of envy and despair
“I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Destroys those he cannot possess
“the murder I have committed because I am for ever robbed of all that she could give me, she shall atone” (Frankenstein, part 20)
Susceptible to despair and self-loathing
“When I run over the frightful catalogue of my sins, I cannot believe that I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Demands impossible happiness and companionship
“I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive” (Frankenstein, part 21)
Traits
Profoundly lonely and isolated
“I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth” (Frankenstein, part 19)
Melancholy and despairing
“he is generally melancholy and despairing, and sometimes he gnashes his teeth, as if impatient of the weight of woes that oppresses him” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Silent and uneasy around others
“is very silent and appears uneasy when anyone except myself enters his cabin” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Capable of deep grief and sympathy
“his constant and deep grief fills me with sympathy and compassion” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Wise and cultivated mind
“He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated” (Frankenstein, part 4)
Observant of human nature and society
“I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches” (Frankenstein, part 17)
Capable of admiring virtue and goodness
“I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers” (Frankenstein, part 17)
Tormented by knowledge of his own deformity
“when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification” (Frankenstein, part 16)
Lines in their own words
Pleading for compassion from his creator
“How can I move thee? Will no entreaties cause thee to turn a favourable eye upon thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Expressing his fundamental loneliness
“Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded” (Frankenstein, part 14)
Declaring his intention for revenge
“I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred” (Frankenstein, part 21)
Threatening Victor on his wedding night
“I will be with you on your wedding-night” (Frankenstein, part 26)
Expressing final remorse and self-condemnation
“I have devoted my creator, the select specimen of all that is worthy of love and admiration among men, to misery; I have pursued him even to that irremediable ruin” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Announcing his intention to end his own life
“I shall quit your vessel on the ice raft which brought me thither and shall seek the most northern extremity of the globe; I shall collect my funeral pile and consume to ashes this miserable frame” (Frankenstein, part 28)
Reference sheet
Film looks we will not copy
- Universal 1931 Karloff look: flat head, neck bolts, green skin, stitched forehead, heavy boots
- Any Universal monster trade dress
- Herman Munster
Always book accurate. Every quote above was checked word for word against our stored copy of the text. Pictures are made with AI from the book's own description and checked by hand for film looks.
