In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley seems to show that guilt and remorse are, ultimately, not very big motivators to change one's behavior. Victor feels incredibly guilty after the monster he creates kills his brother, William, and frames Justine, who is executed as punishment for her "crime." However, his guilt ultimately does nothing to encourage him to behave differently. Does he confess now and take responsibility for his part in these crimes? No. He allows Justine...
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley seems to show that guilt and remorse are, ultimately, not very big motivators to change one's behavior. Victor feels incredibly guilty after the monster he creates kills his brother, William, and frames Justine, who is executed as punishment for her "crime." However, his guilt ultimately does nothing to encourage him to behave differently. Does he confess now and take responsibility for his part in these crimes? No. He allows Justine to die when he knows that his creature is really to blame. Even after her death, he fails to confess and, in doing so, fails to protect his remaining family. He talks a lot about his guilt but does nothing different.
Further, at the end of the story, the creature himself addresses Captain Walton regarding the guilt and remorse he feels for having killed so many innocent people: Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, Frankenstein, etc. However, his growing regret has had no effect whatsoever on his behavior. He hated killing Henry Clerval, but he still proceeded to kill Elizabeth. Ultimately, then, it seems that -- in Frankenstein at least -- guilt and remorse are far smaller motivators than ambition and revenge.
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