The Definition of Monster

What is the definition of a monster?  I  contemplate this seemingly simple question because the answer isn't quite so easy to find.  The definition changes over the years until what was considered a monster decades before, really isn't up to today's standards.  Now we have movies like "Shrek" and of course "Beauty & the Beast" that twist that definition further.  Even without characters such as Shrek and Beast, sometimes people find that the "monster" is a great character and can't help but like them.  Take Frankenstine's monster, in his original form he was nothing but a mindless beast driven by insinct to do whatever he desired. Now, in Koontz's hands Frankenstine's monster recieves a name and a true purpose, to save humanity.  Isn't he still that monster?  But now he's a "good" monster, he doesn't have to be bad. Another "likeable" monster, in my opinion, is Dr. Faustus.  He sold his soul in order to recieve knowlege, and this act deemed him the monster.  To trade one's soul was an irredemable act to his people and they condemn him.  Yet I happen to like Faustus because my definiton of a monster, while sketchy at best, sees this act as okay because he didn't hurt anyone to get this knowlege.  The only person he ended up hurting was himself.  Also I have read stories where a man sold his soul for power and wealth and ended up hurting people around them due to being corupted by greed.  What Faustus did wasn't really all that bad, at least according to me.  I believe that the defintion of a monster should somewhere include that they 'must hurt others'.   So I slighty touched upon "likeable" monsters, but what about the not so likable ones.  Well the next category of monsters are the ones I really don't think deserve the title.  Mersault was a man.  He did not believe in God.  Therefore to his people he was a monster.  He lived by a philosophy that no-one around him could understand, so therefore he was persecuted and condemned him to death.  Yes he did kill a man but he wasn't in his right mind.  Instead of the guillotine, he should have imprisoned for some years.  But he was considered a "monster" by his people, so he was tried for his differences instead of the actual crime.  So to contribute to the defintion, a monster 'must break actual laws' not insult people sense of normalcy. The last category would be the "true monsters".  This is where the definition of monsters really begins.  Dorian Gray exhibits many bad qualities which helps fill in the definition.  He was so absorbed in himself that he did terribe thing to others. He caused the death of his first girlfriend, and directly killed his former friend Basil.  And for what? Beauty?  Admiration from others?  Useless compared to the atrocities he committed in the persual of these things. The best definition for monster is a ruiner of life, someone who hurts others, something that sees what they are doing is right no matter what, and lacks compassion towards everthing and everyone.