Lessons from your Library: Three-Act Analysis of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Hello everyone. Welcome to My Library Blog, where I seek to empower authors with writing tips, insights, and resources to enhance your craft. In this first post, I’ll do a three-act analysis of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Let’s get started.

ACT 1: SET UP

• Hook (0% to 1%)

The hook in this novel consists of the four letters that Robert Walton sends to his sister at the beginning of the novel. In telling her (and us) how he set out on his journey to the North Pole, he sets on the path to introduce us to Victor Frankenstein. The narrator also paints us a picture of his personality. He is of the intellectual sort, and he set out on this voyage in search of knowledge. More specifically, knowledge about magnetism and where it comes from. His ambition to gain fame and glory for discovering new lands and scientific secrets mirrors Victor Frankenstein’s ambition of discovering the deepest mysteries of creation and life.

One day, when Walton and his men wake up to find their ship surrounded by ice and with scarcely any room for her to float in, they see a strange figure on the ice; a man of apparently gigantic stature sitting on a sledge and guided by dogs. The man continues on his way until he is lost in the distant inequalities of the ice.  Then, the following morning Walton meets Victor Frankenstein, an emaciated man in pursuit of the man Walton and his crew saw the day before. But why is Victor chasing this man to the ends of the world?

• Set-Up (1% to 11%)

The set-up sequence for this novel begins when Victor starts his story in Chapter 1. He begins with the story of his family background and early childhood. He recounts his birth, his parents, and their adoption of an orphan girl named Elizabeth Lavenza who becomes Victor’s childhood companion. Victor also becomes friends with a young boy named Henry Clerval, who wants to follow him to university but cannot. The first misfortune of Victor’s life is the loss of his mother.  This event sets him out to immerse himself in his studies of natural philosophy and search for the power to generate life. He wants to learn everything there is to know about the causes of life and its physiology. To do this, he must study death as well and he soon discovers that he is capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.

• Inciting Incident (12%)

This discovery instills in him the desire to create a human being. And he works tirelessly on his creation all year neglecting everything else, including himself.  Victor works hard to infuse life into an inanimate body and finally succeeds after two years.

• First Plot Point; Thrust into Act 2; Crossing the Threshold (13%-25%)

But when he creates the monster, the beauty of Victor’s dream vanishes and he is filled with horror and disgust at what he has done. Consequently, he rejects the creature and abandons it. This initial act of abandonment ignites the central conflict of the novel.

ACT 2A: REACTION

• Response (26% to 36%)

Victor leaves his house wanting to get away from the creature he bestowed life upon as much as possible and meets Henry Clerval on the streets of Ingolstadt serendipitously. They go back to Victor’s apartments together and Victor is happy to see that the creature is not there anymore. However, the fact that he created such a being disturbs Victor greatly and he falls ill. Clerval nurses him back to health and Victor makes plans to go back to Geneva. However, he delays his trip as much as possible and makes the excuse that he doesn’t want to leave Henry alone in a city he doesn’t know. He is also waiting for a letter from his father to fix a date for his return, but when the letter from his father does arrive, it does not bear the news Victor is expecting.

• The First Pinch Point (37%)

Victor’s brother, William, is dead. And Victor sets out immediately to Geneva. When he gets there, he realizes that the creature he abandoned two years ago is lurking nearby and understands that he is his brother’s murderer. However, when Victor reaches his father’s house the following morning, he learns that Justine Moritz has been accused of murdering the little boy.

• Premise (38% to 49%)

Justine’s trial takes place, and she is condemned to death for William’s murder. Later, she is punished and killed. At this, Victor is full of guilt and remorse. He blames himself for both William and Justine’s deaths; he shuns everyone and seeks solitude. This is where the main theme of the novel comes to light: the story is a warning against unchecked ambition and the pursuit of knowledge without wisdom and ethics, highlighting the dangers of “playing God”.

• The Midpoint (50%)

Victor goes to Chamounix and climbs Montavert seeking solace in the beauty of nature. But, instead, he meets his creation for the first time. The encounter is fraught with rage and hatred. Then Victor listens to the creature’s tale and the Monster asks Victor to create a female companion for him. Victor accepts. The creature’s nested story shifts the reader’s perspective from seeing the creature as a monster to understanding his need for a family and human connection.

ACT 2B: ACTION

• The Second Pinch Point (63%)

The creature reveals his solitary existence to Victor and tells him what led him to seek revenge on his Creator. At this point, the monster confesses that he killed William and his actions increase the stakes from a personal torment to a widespread threat that impacts Victor’s family and friends, highlighting what is at risk should Victor fail in his endeavor. This pinch point reveals the full, destructive force of the antagonist, as seen in the monster’s calculated and devastating revenge.

• The Protagonist Fights Back; Battle 1 (64%-74%)

Frankenstein is abhorred at the idea of creating a female companion for the monster and tries to delay his work as much as possible. He travels to England to study under a philosopher whose discoveries were important to his success in creating the new creature. Henry Clerval accompanies him on his journey. Victor starts working on his new creation. But after realizing what he was doing and the dangers he would bring upon humankind, he destroys the female creature.

• Plunge Into Act 3 (75%):

Henry Clerval is murdered and Victor is accused and arrested for the crime. Later, he is acquitted.

ACT 3: RESOLUTION

• Ponder (76%-87%)

Victor’s father goes to Ireland and takes him back to Geneva. Once there, Victor agrees to marry Elizabeth. However, he does so with a heavy heart because he is instantly reminded of the Creature’s threat when Victor destroyed the female Creature. He knows that the Monster will kill him on his wedding night. This is where Victor ponders on his past choices, self-worth, and ability to defeat the Monster. And he knows that he cannot.

• Crisis (88%)

The Creature kills Elizabeth. Victor returns to Geneva and tells his father of Elizabeth’s death. The old man dies of a broken heart. And Victor then decides to hunt the Creature to death as revenge.

• Battle 2 (89%-95%)

Victor chases the Creature to the end of the Earth.

• Climax (96%-98%)

Victor dies and the Creature enters the room where his body lies to look upon and lament the death of his Creator.

• Resolution (99%-100%)

The Creature repents his actions and leaves to destroy himself.

Each image used in this post is copyrighted material. None of these book cover pictures are mine; I borrowed them from Goodreads. The 3-Act diagram(s) is mine.