While many people pursue knowledge, has anyone questioned what consequence knowledge brings to the individual? In the book Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, knowledge is a permanent curse that constantly generates pain. With Frankenstein’s eminent knowledge of science, he creates a terrifying monster that murders his family and friends. He condemns himself for the death of his companions. On Walton’s ship, he recalls how knowledge has tortured him and warns Walton to be aware of the gall of knowledge. Frankenstein finally dies of exhaustion eager to revenge. The monster is initially kind-hearted and eager to seek companionship. The knowledge he gains through his observations of the villagers and by reading pieces of literature, inspires him to reflect. Eventually, he develops a sense of loneliness and a yearning for revenge. The suffering that is experienced by Frankenstein and the monster in their later life is a result of their acquisition of knowledge. Frankenstein was tormented by his creation and the monster was overwhelmed by self-reflection, revealing that knowledge is not always as beneficial as people expect, instead, it is often extremely deleterious.
     

Frankenstein’s knowledge is the origin of all the wretchedness both he and the monster endure. Frankenstein enjoys happiness with his prestigious family and considerate friends before his education starts in Ingolstadt. However, his enthusiasm for knowledge eventually leads to the creation of the monster, which is the cause of infinite pain and fear in almost every character in the book, especially Frankenstein himself. It is true that Frankenstein does the reanimation with a positive motivation of saving lives and he describes the creation as “beautiful” at first, but upon finishing his creation, he realizes “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Shelley 39). At this time, although unaware of the terrible issues this creature will induce in his life, he already knows he created a terrible monster as he uses the words, “horror” and “disgust.” His monster, created through knowledge, started to ruin his life in an irreversible way. When he relates his experience to his friend Clerval, he is in extreme panic and screams, “[The monster] can tell. -Oh, save me! Save me!”, he imagines that “the monster seized [him]; [he] struggled furiously, and fell down in a fit” (Shelley 39). Frankenstein shows his tremendous fear towards his creation as a creator. He has totally lost control of the monster. Frankenstein’s drive for knowledge leads him to create a powerful creation that he is too weak to fight. His fear perfectly foreshadows how vulnerable he is compared to the monster he created.
     

The fear is just a preface to his miserable life. The mental pain and anguish caused by the product of his knowledge begin to engulf Frankenstein. The monster enslaves Frankenstein, threatening him and attempting to force him to create a mate for the monster. Frankenstein, the only one who has knowledge of reanimating life, refuses to create a mate for the monster: “But now I went into it in cold blood, and my heart often sickened at the work of my hands” (Shelley 137).
     

His knowledge generates infinite problems. Frankenstein’s vulnerability and his love for his family lead him to consent to the monster’s unreasonable request. Frankenstein, armed with the knowledge that two monsters could destroy the entire human race, must make choose between saving humanity or protecting his family. Whatever he decides, he will regret his choice. As he says, he is ‘sickened’ to do the work, the monster makes Frankenstein suffer. It is obvious that he would not fall into the loop if he does not possess any knowledge. Frankenstein’s greater pain is embodied from his sorrow over the death of his friends and family: “A bad conscious! Yes, I surely had one. William, Justine, and Clerval, had died through my infernal machinations” (Shelley 154). Frankenstein feels responsible and guilty for those who are killed by his creation. He refers to himself as having an incessantly occurring “bad conscious” and “infernal machinations,”, which shows his great pain regarding the deaths. This mental pain does not stop until Frankenstein takes his last breath.
   

 Frankenstein ends up being exhausted on Walton’ ship. After years of being tortured by the monster, Frankenstein himself has summarized how vicious knowledge is. He even stops in the middle of his narration and starts to warn Walton “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will” (Shelley 35). He clearly asserts that knowledge is dangerous to humankind. The life he once delighted in, in his hometown has become a nostalgic memory to him. In his interpretation, he shows his desire of the past with his family and friends and being free from the restriction of knowledge. Unfortunately, the knowledge he acquired has taken away all that he possesses, including family, friends, and love. Understandably, Walton asks Frankenstein about the components of the monster: “Sometimes I endeavored to gain from Frankenstein the of his creature’s formation; but on this point, he was impenetrable” (Shelley 179). Frankenstein is determined not to give Walton any clue about how to reanimate life as he does not want any more monsters to be created. Having seen and experienced the consequences of his mistake, the monster, he tries his best to not allow the same disaster to occur again. Knowledge has torn his spirit apart in every aspect. He does not have his delightful life anymore, instead, a miserable one has taken its place. Eventually, Frankenstein dies filled with the regret of acquiring knowledge and never having had his revenge.
     

It is agonizing for Frankenstein to remember being indirectly enslaved by the monster and how it was his quest for knowledge that caused his enslavement. The monster, suffering from self-reflection, is a direct victim of knowledge. He is initially benevolent and generous, but his acquired knowledge, of the dark side of humanity, eventually turns him into a cold-blooded murderer who is responsible for dozens of deaths. The book, “Ruins of Empire,”, addresses the negative side of humanity, including power, manners, and religions. The monster gains the introduction to the bad side of humanity, which contradicts what he has learned so far. Therefore, he is overwhelmed, and starts to question himself, “These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base” (Shelley 95). This is the point when the monster gains a more comprehensive understanding of humanity. He is once kind and warm-hearted, ready to help people in any circumstance as the virtuous side of humanity is the only side he has encountered. As the knowledge of the negative aspects of humanity floods the monster’s mind, he slowly evolves to be a creature that understands hatred and self-abasement, resulting in a miserable life. Unfortunately, the monster later accesses another three books, “Paradise Lost”, “Plutarch’s Lives” and “Sorrow of Werter”. After reading “Paradise Lost”, he compares himself to Satan: “I was wretched, helpless, and alone. 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” (Shelley 105). The monster learns the concept of companionship from the book. While Adam’s creator creates him and cares for him afterward, the monster’s creator abandons him. All he wants is companions, but he does not have one. The reason why he does not feel lonely at first is that he is unaware of the feeling of solitude. The reading the monster has done has allowed him to comprehend the concepts of solitude and misery which he now identifies with. Moreover, he starts to blame and negatively judge himself as people did to him: “Increase of knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was” (Shelley 106). Knowledge is overwhelming, the insight into himself is even more so. He starts to lose faith in himself and sets himself up as a target of anger and animosity. Knowledge has brought the monster unfathomable feelings, resulting in hatred towards his creator, Frankenstein. This hatred eventually leads the monster to murder Frankenstein’s companions.
     

While it is hard to determine who is more miserable, it is apparent that knowledge is a loop which transfers pain between Frankenstein and the monster repeatedly. Frankenstein’s knowledge creates the monster with a terrifying face and body. The monster feels lonely and learns how to kill with his power. Frankenstein’s companions are directly or indirectly murdered by the monster one by one. As the loop is seemingly endless, this vicious circle eventually ends with the death of both Frankenstein and the monster.