Some destiny of the most horrible kind hangs over me, and I must live to fulfil it, or surely I should have died on the coffin of Henry.
Chapter 21 · Victor Frankenstein
Context
When Victor's father finally visits him in prison, Victor explains that some terrible destiny compels him to continue living despite his wish to die.
Analysis
Victor personifies 'destiny' as an agent that 'hangs over' him, using the passive construction to evade agency: something external compels him to live, not his own choices or body. The conditional 'or surely I should have died on the coffin of Henry' imagines a death that would have been emotionally appropriate—Victor scripts a version of events in which he dies of grief, casting himself as the protagonist of a tragedy rather than someone responsible for causing one.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Victor narrates his life as though he were the victim of fate rather than the architect of consequences—he imagines he 'should have' died, as if the correct plot for his life has been derailed by forces outside his control.