A powerful, exam-focused collection of key Frankenstein quotations by theme, designed to support high-level analysis for A-Level English Literature. This resource organises essential quotes into clear themes such as the body, intertextuality, nature and settings, science and knowledge, creation, gender, power, and the treatment of women, helping students make strong conceptual links and develop sophisticated arguments. Each quotation is carefully selected for its analytical value, with references to chapters for precise revision. Perfect for mastering AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO5, this guide supports essay planning, close reading, and comparative work. Ideal for students studying Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein who want to improve their use of textual evidence and achieve top grades.
Nature and Settings
“these sublime and magnificent scenes afforded”
“the thunder burst with frightful loudness from various quarters”, “I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed” Ch.2
“my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature”, “I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves” Ch.4
“a divine spring; and the season contributed greatly to my convalescence” Ch.5
“gained additional strength from the salubrious air”, “A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy” Ch.6
“This noble war in the sky elevated my spirits”, “lightning dazzled my eyes illuminating the lake, making it appear like a vast sheet of fire” Ch.7 After Walton’s death
“the dashing of the waterfalls around spoke of a power as mighty as Omnipotence”, “sought in the magnificence the eternity of such scenes” Ch.9 After Justine’s death
“bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow beings”, “desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge”. Ch.10
“the amphitheater of mountains”, “an almost insurmountable barrier to the invader who should wish to enslave it”, “What a divine day”, “the sun sunk beneath the horizon… I felt those cares and fears revive” Ch.22 Return to Geneva for the wedding
“surrounded by mountains of ice which admit no escape, and threaten every moment to crush my vessel”, “endangered”, “destruction”, “encompassed by peril” Ch.24 Walton’s 2nd letter
“I shall no longer see the sun or stars or feel the wind play on my cheeks”, “my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace”, “borne away by the waves, and lost in darkness and distance”
Creation and Identity
“what they owed towards the being to which they given life” Ch.1
“Angel of Destruction” Ch.3
“I began the creation of a human being… a new species would bless me as its creator and source…owe their being to me” Ch.4
“wretch – the miserable monster whom I had created.” Ch.5
“I collected the instruments of life [body parts] around me” Ch. 5
“you are my creator, but I am your master” Vol II, Ch. 2
The Body
“A being heaven sent… a celestial stamp in all her features” Ch.1
“I collected bones from charnel houses; and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame.” Ch.3
Anatomical exposure; grotesque physicality “I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted” Ch. 4
“the dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials” Ch. 4
“yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath” Ch. 5
“My heart palpitated in sickness of fear” Ch.5
“the lifeless thing that lay at my feet” Ch. 5
Victor destroying the body of the female creature “I tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged” Vol III, Ch. 3
Science and Knowledge
“I remained, while the storm lasted, watching its progress with curiosity and delight.” Ch. 1
“The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was the most beautiful season; […] but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” Ch. 3
“The natural phenomena that take place every day before our eyes did not escape my examinations.” Ch. 1
“After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.” Ch. 4
“a new species would bless me as its creator” Ch. 4
“The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine.” Ch. 2
Romanticism
“A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy” Ch.6
“I never saw a more interesting creature” letter 4
“A beam benevolence and sweetness” letter 4
Intertextuality
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner – Ch5 “like one, on a lonesome road who, Doth walk in fear and dread, and, having once turned round walks on, and turns no more his head; because he knows a frightful friend Doth close behind him tread.”
“I am thy creature… I ought to be thy Adam” Vol II, Ch. 2
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel” Vol II, Ch. 2
“Like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained in an eternal hell.” Ch. 24 – Links to Satan in Paradise Lost.
Representation and Treatment of Women
“mine to protect, love, and cherish” Ch. 1
[Elizabeth] “a pretty present for my Victor” Ch. 1
Religious idealisation: “her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low” Ch. 1
“She presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine – mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own.” Vol. 1 Ch.1
“the innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by Heaven” Ch. 1
Reinforces submissive femininity “she was the living spirit of love to soften and attract” Ch. 2
“She indeed veiled her grief, and strove to act the comforter to us all. She looked steadily on life, and assumed its duties with courage and zeal.” Vol.1 Ch.3
“She died calmly” (Caroline) Ch. 3
“the saintly soul of Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp” Ch. 6
“Time had altered her since I last beheld her; it had endowed her with loveliness surpassing the beauty of her childish years. There was the same candour, the same vivacity, but it was allied to an expression more full of sensibility and intellect.” Vol. 1 Ch.7
“the poor victim” (Justine) Ch. 8
Victor’s reservations around making a female counterpart for his creature “she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate” Vol III, Ch. 3
Sexuality and Desire
The scientific pursuit of creation “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation” Ch. 5
Awaken English 