Skip to content
Storgy

Character analysis · Frankenstein family servant, wrongly executed for William's murder

Justine Moritz

in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Justine Moritz is a servant in the Frankenstein household, and her brief but tragic story reveals the novel's profound concerns about justice, innocence, and guilt. Taken in by Madame Frankenstein at the age of twelve due to her mother’s mistreatment, Justine received an education beyond that of a typical servant and grew deeply devoted to her benefactress, even imitating her manners and speech. Elizabeth describes her as "the most amiable and benevolent of human creatures," while Victor remembers how a single glance from her could lift his spirits.

When William Frankenstein is murdered and a miniature portrait of his mother is discovered in Justine's pocket, she is arrested, tried, and condemned. The circumstantial evidence is compelling enough to influence the court, and her bewildered behavior during the murder investigation only heightens suspicion. Importantly, her confessor pressures her into a false confession by threatening her with excommunication, leading to her execution as a convicted murderer. In prison, she takes back her confession, stating, "I did confess, but I confessed a lie," and faces her impending death with remarkable calm and Christian resignation.

Victor knows she is innocent — he understands that the creature is the true murderer — but he cannot reveal this without being thought of as insane. Justine thus becomes the first of what Victor refers to as his "hapless victims," and her death continues to haunt him throughout the novel, serving as a reminder of the devastation his ambition has wrought.

About this character

Role
Frankenstein family servant, wrongly executed for William's murder
Form
Novel
Author
Mary Shelley
First published
1818

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Justine Moritz?

Justine Moritz enters the story through Elizabeth's letter in Chapter 6, introduced as a servant with a unique background. She joined the Frankenstein household at twelve to escape an uncaring mother and received an education beyond what she initially expected. In return, she developed a deep affection for Madame Frankenstein. Elizabeth’s description of Justine highlights her beauty, intelligence, and kindness. Elizabeth recalls that Victor once said a single glance from Justine could lift his spirits. Essentially, she represents pure virtue, making her tragic fate all the more poignant.

02·Arc & motivation

What is Justine Moritz's arc and motivation?

Justine's journey is brief and heartbreaking. She is called home by her regretful mother, faces further mistreatment, and returns to the Frankenstein household just before William's murder. Her motivations stem from loyalty and gratitude: she cared for Madame Frankenstein during her final illness, looked after her own mother, and formed a strong attachment to William. In the prison scene, her main worry is that her loved ones won't see her as guilty; she isn’t trying to escape death but hopes to die with her innocence acknowledged.

03·Key moments

What are Justine Moritz's key moments?

In Chapter 7, the circumstantial evidence against Justine is laid out — the portrait found in her pocket, her confused behavior, and her illness after the murder. Victor, who knows the truth, tells his family that she is innocent but feels powerless to act on that knowledge publicly.

In Chapter 8, the trial becomes the novel's moral focal point. Justine appears calm and, dressed in mourning, is described as exceptionally beautiful; she exudes confidence in her innocence and does not tremble. Elizabeth passionately defends her, but this only incites further public outrage. All the ballots are black. Victor then learns that Justine has confessed.

The prison scene in Chapter 8 is Justine’s most profound moment. She tells Elizabeth that her confessor "threatened excommunication and hell fire" until she agreed to lie. Instead of showing anger, she comforts Elizabeth and Victor, shares her hope of reuniting with William in heaven, and asserts, "I do not fear to die." Her last words to Elizabeth — "Farewell, sweet lady … may this be the last misfortune that you will ever suffer!" — reflect a selfless grace that emphasizes her moral superiority over nearly everyone else present.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Justine Moritz's most important relationships?

Justine’s bond with Elizabeth is the most emotionally rich. Elizabeth calls her "my playfellow, my companion, my sister" and is heartbroken by Justine's false confession, which causes her to briefly doubt her. Their reunion in prison restores trust and deepens Elizabeth’s sorrow. The relationship with Victor is marked by dramatic irony: he knows she is innocent, yet his silence makes him, as he admits, her true murderer. His guilt over Justine lingers throughout the novel, with her name appearing alongside William and Clerval as a reminder of his growing crimes.

05·Connected characters

How is Justine Moritz connected to the other characters?

Victor Frankenstein

Victor knows Justine is innocent and privately calls himself her murderer, yet his inability — or unwillingness — to reveal the truth condemns her; her death becomes the emblem of his guilt and the first direct human cost of his creation.

Elizabeth Lavenza

Elizabeth loves Justine tenderly, speaks passionately in her defence at the trial, and visits her in prison; Justine's execution shatters Elizabeth's faith in human goodness and casts a permanent shadow over her.

William Frankenstein

Elizabeth testifies that Justine "acted towards him like a most affectionate mother," and the miniature portrait found on Justine after William's murder is the chief evidence used to condemn her.

Alphonse Frankenstein

Alphonse initially believes Justine guilty and speaks of her with disappointment, though he hopes she will be acquitted; her death deepens the grief that shakes his health.

The Creature

The creature is the actual murderer of William and, by planting the portrait on Justine, the indirect cause of her execution — an act Victor describes as the creature betraying "the innocent to death and ignominy."

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Justine Moritz

Why is Justine accused of murdering William?

The miniature portrait of Victor's mother, thought to be the murderer's motive, is discovered in Justine's pocket. Additionally, she was spotted near the location where William's body was found on the night of the murder, and her bewildered and upset demeanor during questioning heightened the suspicion surrounding her.

Did Justine confess to the murder?

She did confess, but in the prison scene, she tells Elizabeth it was a lie: "I confessed, that I might obtain absolution." Her confessor had threatened her with excommunication and hellfire if she stayed silent, and with no one to back her up, she "subscribed to a lie" — something she claims weighs "heavier at my heart than all my other sins."

Why doesn't Victor save Justine by revealing the truth?

Victor believes that revealing the creature's existence and calling it the murderer would lead people to think he’s lost his mind. He contemplates how its terrifying nature would be dismissed as madness by the masses. Furthermore, since he wasn't there when the murder happened, confessing his own guilt wouldn't legally clear her name.

How does Justine face her execution?

With impressive calmness and acceptance, she tells Elizabeth in the prison, "I do not fear to die," explaining that God gives her the strength to face the worst. She reassures those around her, shares her hope of reuniting with William in heaven, and bids farewell to Elizabeth with a blessing. The narrator observes that "she indeed gained the resignation she desired."

What is Justine's background before she joins the Frankenstein household?

She is the third child of a widow named Madame Moritz. Her father had shown her affection, but after he passed away, her mother began to mistreat her. Madame Frankenstein saw this and convinced Madame Moritz to allow Justine to live with their family when she was twelve. Following Madame Frankenstein's death, Justine's remorseful mother called her back home, where she faced more mistreatment before returning to the Frankenstein household after her mother's passing.

How does Justine's death affect the other characters?

Victor sees himself as her true murderer, and her death haunts him throughout the novel, surfacing in his thoughts in Chapters 9, 19, 21, 22, and 23. Elizabeth is heartbroken; she shares that she no longer views the world and its creations as she once did, and her faith in human goodness is shattered.

What does Elizabeth say in Justine's defence at the trial?

Elizabeth testifies that she has known Justine well, stating that Justine cared for both Madame Frankenstein and her own mother with great dedication, that she was "warmly attached" to William and "acted towards him like a most affectionate mother," and that she firmly believes in Justine's innocence. She mentions that if Justine had wanted the portrait, she would have willingly given it to her. While Elizabeth's speech garners admiration, the narrator observes that it only heightens public outrage towards Justine.

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • Justine as a victim of institutional power: Her false confession is coerced by a confessor threatening excommunication, implicating the Church alongside the justice system in her downfall.

  • The limits of innocence as a defense: Justine's composed and virtuous demeanor during the trial does not save her; the novel questions whether innocence can truly protect the powerless against circumstantial evidence and mob mentality.

  • Justine and Victor's guilt: Victor calls himself her murderer and states "I murdered her" when referring to Justine; exploring what this self-accusation reveals about his moral accountability

    and his limitations — makes for a compelling essay topic.

  • Justine as a foil to the creature: Both are judged based on their appearance and circumstances rather than actual guilt; contrasting their treatment by society highlights the novel's critique of superficial judgment.

  • Gender and powerlessness: Justine faces dual constraints

    as a woman and as a servant — and her story can be seen as an exploration of how those lacking social power are crushed by systems designed to protect others.

Frankenstein

Continue

Full study guide →