Between Frankenstein and the creature, who is at fault? What caused it? Both passed through some difficult times, but, in the end, who is to...

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein creates a
very curious problem: who is the reader to blame? The necessary idea behind the
answering of this question lies in the understanding of the question--who is to blame
for what? 

Victor's
Blame

Victor is to blame for numerous
things. First, he is to blame for desiring to possess forbidden knowledge. Without this
desire, Victor never would have reanimated life. Second, Victor is to blame for the
creature's abandonment. One could argue that if Victor would have embraced his "son"
that none of "this" would have happened. Third, Victor is to blame for the deaths of
William, Justine, Henry, Elizabeth, and his father. While not directly responsible,
meaning the deaths were not by his hand, he is responsible for creating the being which
was responsible for the deaths. Lastly, Victor is responsible for his own death. His
great ambition, or tragic flaw, is directly responsible for his downfall and ultimate
death. 

The Creature's
Blame

Directly, the creature is responsible
for the deaths of William, Elizabeth, and Henry. Although he set up Justine as the
murderer of William and she was found guilty, he did not physically take her life.
Really, this is all the creature is directly responsible for. Indirectly, he is
responsible for the deaths of Justine and Victor's father. Outside of these, the
creature does nothing morally wrong. 

In the end, one must
decide what the true question is. Is Victor the reason why everything happened as it
did, or did the creature's actions force Victor's hand?