Objectives

• Analyse how Shelley uses Walton's letters to frame Victor's story and establish the novel's central warnings about ambition.
• Trace how Victor's language in Chapters 3–5 reveals his psychological transformation from student to obsessive creator.
• Examine how the creature's chapters (Chapters 11–16) construct him as both sympathetic and dangerous, and explain how Shelley uses his narrative to challenge the reader's moral judgement.
• Evaluate how Shelley presents justice, guilt, and complicity through the trial of Justine Moritz in Chapters 7–8.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical argument about a chosen theme — responsibility, monstrosity, or the danger of knowledge — drawing on at least three moments across the novel.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Walton's Letters and the Frame Narrative: Ambition on the Ice

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4

   Do now

   Read the quotation on the board: "I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight." In silence, jot down three observations about Walton's state of mind. What does he desire? What does he dread? What does this reveal about him?

   Teacher input

   Start by: (1) identifying the emotional tone, emphasizing the loneliness that shadows his triumph; (2) examining the conditional tense ('when I am glowing'), which reveals Walton's confidence in his success while also exposing his vulnerability; (3) linking this to the frame structure, illustrating how Walton is already mirroring Victor's feelings even before their paths cross. Finally, demonstrate how to construct an analytical paragraph from this sentence using a claim-evidence-analysis format.

   Independent task

   Students will write one analytical paragraph in response to the question: How does Shelley use Walton's letters to establish the theme of dangerous ambition? They must quote and analyze at least two of the following: "I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation"; "There is something at work in my soul which I do not understand"; "What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?"; or the moment in Letter 4 when Walton describes the stranger as someone he "should have been happy to have possessed as the brother of my heart." The paragraph should include a topic sentence, an embedded quotation, language analysis, and a connection to the novel's broader themes. It is due at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain why Shelley gives us Walton's story before Victor's. What does the frame narrative add to the reader's experience of the novel?

2. Lesson 2: Victor's Creation: From Curiosity to Catastrophe in Chapters 3–5

   60 min · ch. 7, 8, 9

   Do now

   On the board: In Chapter 3, Victor mentions that Professor Waldman's lecture "decided my future destiny." Without referring to the text, jot down everything you recall about what Waldman says that impacts Victor so deeply. Then, include one question you have about why Victor is so easily swayed.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the sentence in Chapter 3 — "They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows" — illustrating how to analyze Waldman's language as Victor perceives it. Guide students in tracking the escalating intensity of the verbs ('command', 'mimic', 'mock') and emphasize that the phrase 'almost unlimited' is a key qualifier that Victor overlooks. Next, transition to Chapter 5, where the creation itself is depicted: "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." Highlight how the disparity between Waldman's grand promise and Victor's grim reality drives the novel's tragic arc.

   Independent task

   Students will write two connected analytical paragraphs comparing Victor's language in Chapter 3 (his response to Waldman) with his language in Chapter 5 (the moment of creation). The first paragraph should highlight Victor's ambition and include at least one quotation from Chapter 3 or 4. The second paragraph should focus on his horror, using at least one quotation from Chapter 5, particularly discussing the physical description: "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." This description should be analyzed to illustrate the gap between Victor's intentions and the reality of his creation. Students will submit both paragraphs.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what Victor's reaction in Chapter 5 tells us about the danger of pursuing knowledge without moral preparation.

3. Lesson 3: The Creature's Education: Chapters 11–15 and the Making of a Monster

   60 min · ch. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

   Do now

   On the board: The creature claims he was once good and kind, but misery turned him into a monster. However, he argues that if Victor brings him happiness, he can be virtuous again. Do you trust him? Write a short response — yes, no, or partly — and give one reason grounded in the creature's story thus far.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the creature's reflection in Chapter 13 — "Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?" — to explore how the creature's self-questioning operates both rhetorically and philosophically. Analyze how the syntax, particularly the question format and the build-up of phrases, reveals the creature's uncertainty about his identity. Then, link this to his interpretation of Paradise Lost in Chapter 15, where he states, "Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me." Illustrate how Shelley employs the creature's literary self-awareness to deepen the complexity of the reader's sympathy.

   Independent task

   Students will compose an analytical response to the question: How does Shelley create a sense of sympathy and disturbance around the creature in Chapters 11–15? They need to discuss at least three key moments: the creature’s initial encounter with the De Lacey family (Chapter 12), his realization of language — "This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it" — and his reading of Paradise Lost in Chapter 15. Each reference should be analyzed for language rather than just described. Students are required to submit a minimum of three paragraphs.

   Exit ticket

   Name one moment from Chapters 11–15 that makes you sympathise with the creature, and one that makes you distrust him. Write a sentence for each.

4. Lesson 4: Justice and Guilt: Justine's Trial in Chapters 7–8

   60 min · ch. 11, 12

   Do now

   On the board: Victor shares in Chapter 8, "The tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence, but the fangs of remorse tore my bosom and would not forgo their hold." Who is the 'accused'? What actions or failures on Victor's part have led him to experience this torment? Write three sentences.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Justine's confession in Chapter 8: "I did confess, but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins." Begin by analyzing the repetition of the word 'confessed' and the irony that a false confession, driven by religious pressure, ultimately becomes a tool for injustice. Next, connect this to Victor's silence: he is aware that the creature is the true murderer of William, yet he remains silent. Guide students to explore Shelley's structural irony—where the reader possesses knowledge that the court lacks—and how this implicates Victor in Justine's death, making him as responsible as the creature.

   Independent task

   Students will write an analytical essay response (three to four paragraphs) to the question: How does Shelley use the trial of Justine Moritz to explore the theme of guilt and responsibility? In their essays, students should discuss Victor's portrayal of himself as undergoing "living torture" in court; Justine's false confession and the religious pressure that led to it; Elizabeth's testimony, which ultimately fails to save Justine; and Victor's concluding statement that William and Justine are "the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts." Each quotation must be embedded within the text and analyzed thoroughly. Students are required to submit the complete response.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain whether you think Victor is more responsible for Justine's death than the creature is. Give one piece of evidence.

5. Lesson 5: The Wedding Night and the Arctic Ending: Responsibility and Destruction in Chapters 20–24

   60 min · ch. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

   Do now

   In Chapter 20, the creature confronts Victor, declaring, "You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!" By Chapter 24, he describes himself as "the miserable and the abandoned," referring to himself as an abortion, destined to be rejected and mistreated. This shift highlights how the creature evolves from a being seeking acceptance to one asserting dominance over his creator. Throughout the novel, Victor's initial control fades as the creature embraces his own power and agency.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the moment in Chapter 23 when Victor discovers Elizabeth's lifeless body — "The murderous mark of the fiend's grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips." This moment serves as a key point in the novel's exploration of responsibility. The phrase 'murderous mark' shifts the blame onto the creature, suggesting that it is the one who has acted. Meanwhile, the phrase 'had ceased to issue' makes Elizabeth an absent subject, removing her agency from the sentence entirely.

   Next, connect this to the creature's final words in Chapter 24 — "I shall collect my funeral pile and consume to ashes this miserable frame, that its remains may afford no light to any curious and unhallowed wretch who would create such another as I have been." This can be interpreted as Shelley’s ultimate commentary on the perils of creation without accountability. The creature’s intention to destroy itself illustrates the profound consequences of unchecked ambition and the importance of moral responsibility in the act of creation.

   Independent task

   Write a complete essay consisting of four to five paragraphs that addresses the question: In Frankenstein, Shelley proposes that the real monster is not the creature but rather the society and creator who forsook him. How much do you agree with this view? Your essay should: start with a clear argument in the introduction; reference at least one moment from the Walton letters (Letters 1–4) to set the stage for the novel; analyze Victor's act of creation and his subsequent abandonment of the creature using evidence from Chapters 4 and 5; examine the creature's perspective on his education and rejection with evidence from Chapters 11–16; discuss the consequences, including the deaths of William, Justine, Clerval, and Elizabeth, using evidence from Chapters 7–8 and 20–23; and conclude with a direct response to the question. Make sure that every quotation is smoothly integrated into a sentence and followed by an analysis of specific words or phrases. You may include any of the quotations discussed throughout this scheme of work. Please submit your completed essay by the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence stating your overall argument about who or what is most responsible for the tragedy of Frankenstein, and one sentence identifying the single piece of evidence that best supports it.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate the purpose of the frame narrative in their own words, not just describe it.
• Lesson 1 paragraph: checks whether students can embed a quotation from the letters and move from language feature to thematic meaning.
• Lesson 2 paired paragraphs: checks whether students can sustain a comparison across two chapters and track a character's psychological change through specific word choices.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can hold two contradictory responses to the creature simultaneously and support each with a textual moment.
• Lesson 4 essay response: checks whether students can construct a multi-paragraph argument about structural irony and shared guilt, using embedded evidence from Chapters 7 and 8.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket: checks whether students can distil their overall argument into a single, precise claim and identify their strongest piece of evidence.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a claim about a literary text that is defensible and supported by evidence.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters' choices and development contribute to meaning.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and how narrative perspective shapes meaning, including the effect of an unreliable or framed narrator.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including connotation, metaphor, and allusion, in shaping meaning and tone.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including the effects of structure, form, and language.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the literary work, including its themes, characters, and narrative structure.
• Criterion B — Analyse the ways in which the author's stylistic choices create meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Develop a focused, well-organised and coherent argument supported by relevant textual evidence.