# Henry Clerval — Frankenstein character guide

> Henry Clerval in Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Clerval, Henry, M. Clerval, Dearest Clerval, Chapter VI Clerval

**First appearance:** 0010-chapter-ii

## Snapshot

Victor's warmhearted boyhood friend, a lover of romance and adventure who nurses him through illness and never stops offering consolation.

## Who they are

Where Victor chases causes, Clerval chases beauty—chivalry, poetry, distant lands—and his easy affection keeps Victor tethered to ordinary human life. When grief and guilt prostrate his friend, Clerval reads the terrible letter, weeps with him, and simply stays. His loyalty matters because it shows what Victor keeps trading away: companionship, tenderness, and a world of feeling that has nothing to do with the laboratory.

## Relationships

### [The Creature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/the_creature)

_rivalry_

Henry is a close friend of Victor and is murdered by the Creature as part of his revenge.

### [Elizabeth Lavenza](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/elizabeth_lavenza)

_friendship_

Elizabeth and Henry are close family friends, sharing a warm and supportive relationship within the Frankenstein household.

### [Victor Frankenstein](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/victor_frankenstein)

_friendship_

Henry is Victor's loyal and cheerful best friend, who nurses him back to health and is later murdered by the Creature.

### [The Creature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/the_creature)

_rivalry_

Henry is a close friend of Victor and is murdered by the Creature as part of his revenge.

### [Victor Frankenstein](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/victor_frankenstein)

_friendship_

Henry is Victor's loyal and cheerful best friend, who nurses him back to health and is later murdered by the Creature.

### [The Creature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/the_creature)

_rivalry_

Henry is a close friend of Victor and is murdered by the Creature as part of his revenge.

### [Elizabeth Lavenza](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/elizabeth_lavenza)

_friendship_

Elizabeth and Henry are close family friends, sharing a warm and supportive relationship within the Frankenstein household.

## In the story

### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-ii)

Victor's close friend, characterized by his adventurous spirit and moral sensibility.

### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-iii)

Spends the last evening with Victor; prevented by his father from accompanying Victor to Ingolstadt.

### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-v)

Henry arrives in Ingolstadt and joyfully reunites with Victor; he notices Victor's ill appearance and shares news of Victor's family.

### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-vi)

Accompanies Victor on a pedestrian tour, invents tales, and helps Victor reconnect with nature.

### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-vii)

Accompanies Victor on his journey to Geneva and offers heartfelt sympathy.

### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-xviii)

Accompanies Victor to England, full of joy and appreciation for the scenery.

### [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-xix)

Clerval enjoys the journey, seeking knowledge and planning to assist European colonization in India; he is concerned about Victor's dejection.

### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-xx)

Henry sends a letter to Victor, urging him to leave the island and join him in Perth for a journey south.

### [Chapter XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-xxi)

Victor's murdered friend, whose death haunts Victor throughout the chapter, appearing in his visions and memories.

### [Chapter XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/chapters/chapter-xxii)

Henry is mentioned as having been murdered by the Creature, a crime that deepens Victor's guilt and despair.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters/henry_clerval
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/frankenstein_se/characters