all judges had rather that ten innocent should suffer, than that one
guilty should escape
Victor's bitterness over the law may reflect Godwin's teachings about its arbitrary
nature and conformist tendencies, as well as Percy Bysshe Shelley's own legal
problems with his father during
Mary's first years living with him. We see similar sentiments in
Elizabeth's aversion to the law as a profession for Ernest, which is
expressed in a passage in the first edition (1.5.2 and note).
- Contexts:
- Critical Approaches:
- Themes:
