Analysis and comparison of main evil characters in gothic novels Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are both products of Gothic Literature and though written in 70 years intervals, two novels embody main evil characters who are surprisingly similar . This study explores the relation that can be drawn between Wilde’s evil Dorian Gray and Shelley’s Monster in regard to the research question : Analysis and comparison of main evil characters in gothic novels Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. This research will be divided into four main sections dealing with the Creators, Aesthetic Awakenings, Evil Acts and Self Destruction processes. Moving in a chronologic order first, Lord Henry and Dr. Frankenstein will be analyzed as the characters who are the creators of the evil in novels. Then novels’ pivotal connection in aesthetics (Dorian is extremely beautiful and Frankenstein’s monster is extremely ugly) will be evaluated. Continuing with the explorations of evil acts and characters’ self-destructions, the question; ‘How these aesthetically converse characters can merge into one in immoral behavior?’ will be discussed. Also throughout this paper Mary Shelley’s nameless evil character will be named as Frankenstein’s Monster, The Creature or The Monster, as it is stated in the novel. In the conclusion it is proved that The Monster and Dorian are conversely similar to each other and it is shown that though in appearance they are completely opposite, their fate and evil behavior is significantly congruent. It is also concluded that as a criticism to aesthetically obsessed society both novels convey similar social messages through two extreme examples