Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a literary masterpiece that has captivated readers for over two centuries. It delves into the depths of human ambition, isolation, morality, and the consequences of playing god. The novel’s profound and haunting dialogue continues to resonate, offering insight into the psyche of Victor Frankenstein, his creation, and those affected by their tragic story. This article presents 46 of the most memorable quotes from Frankenstein, showcasing its depth and timeless relevance.
46 Memorable Quotes from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
1. “I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic.”
2. “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn.”
3. “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.”
4. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
5. “The world was to me a secret, which I desired to divine.”
6. “Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!”
7. “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world.”
8. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.”
9. “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature.”
10. “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.”
The Tragic Birth of the Creature
11. “I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created.”
12. “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room.”
13. “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness.”
14. “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”
15. “I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.”
The Creature’s Lament and Suffering
16. “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”
17. “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!”
18. “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.”
19. “I am malicious because I am miserable.”
20. “I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn.”
21. “Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded.”
22. “I was alone, and miserable: man will not associate with me.”
23. “There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies?”
24. “What hope can I gather from your fellow-creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me.”
25. “If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!”
Revenge and Destruction
26. “I will revenge my injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear; and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred.”
27. “I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me.”
28. “I do not fear death, but I did not desire to die until I had poured forth my soul in words of guilt and horror.”
29. “You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!”
30. “Revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food!”
31. “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?”
32. “The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil.”
33. “Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?”
34. “My reign is not yet over—you live, and my power is complete.”
35. “I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept.”
Guilt and Sorrow
36. “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
37. “I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer.”
38. “Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition.”
39. “Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity and ruin.”
40. “I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine, and rage the likes of which you would not believe.”
41. “When falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness?”
42. “What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?”
43. “Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me.”
44. “I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt.”
45. “Soon these burning miseries will be extinct.”
46. “I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames.”
Conclusion
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a novel of immense emotional and philosophical depth. Through its unforgettable dialogue, the novel captures the weight of human ambition, the perils of isolation, and the tragedy of seeking acceptance in a world that rejects the unfamiliar. These 46 quotes provide a glimpse into the brilliance of *Frankenstein*, a work that continues to challenge and inspire generations of readers.
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