When you hear the word “Frankenstein”, the first thing that comes to mind is a creepy, zombie-like monster; but this is not exactly what the story is all about. The monster is not actually named Frankenstein; it’s the creator of the monster whose name is Victor Frankenstein. Because of Victor’s interest in natural science and creation of life, he decided to study relentlessly and create his own human out of something inanimate. Once brought to life though, the creature ends up being more of a curse than an amazing invention. Victor then spends the rest of his life in fear and grief to try and put an end to the monster he created. The novel Frankenstein shows remarkable and deliberate connection with the myth of Prometheus from the cover page to the creation scene and is tied in through the rest of the book. (Whisenant)Victor Frankenstein can be called a modern-day Prometheus because of his creation of a being, their love for human kind, and their fate at the end.
To begin, Frankenstein is comparable to Prometheus because of his initial creation of a living being. Victor pursues his interests in the sciences by taking it a step further trying to discover the secret of life. He decides to try and create something that can live. Once brought to life though, he is immediately repulsed by its appearance and flees, allowing the monster to escape, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart,” (Pg 42) Prometheus on the other hand was a Titan whose job was to mold mankind out of clay. After this though, he grew fonder of his new creations than the actual gods like him. Prometheus then decided to trick the g...
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addressing Frankenstein as a monster. Victor does not desire anything to do with this “wretch”. After seeing the creature he has created, he “[passes] the night wretchedly. Sometimes [his] pulse beat so quickly and hardly that [he] feels palpitation of every artery; at others, [he] nearly [sinks] to the ground through languor and extreme weakness.” (59) Victor acts a coward; he does not face his mistakes and try to fix them. Instead he feels weakened by the disappointment of himself. On the other hand, Prometheus reacts differently to his challenges. Prometheus acts strong minded, he thinks before he acts and trusts nobody. After Prometheus grants the villagers with fire, he “[…] [warns] his brother to beware of any gift that Jupiter might send, for he knew that the mighty tyrant [can] not be trusted.”(4) Prometheus expects consequences for his actions, just as an army general expects an attack from the enemy. Prometheus acts brave in questioning authority and waits ready for battle, if Zeus retaliates for disobeying
"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein — more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation." (Shelley 34) This quote from the book helps give proof to why Mary Shelley subtitled Frankenstein with the Modern Prometheus. Victor can be compared to the Greek Titan Prometheus in uncanny ways that can point to nothing but the fact that he is the a modern version of the Greek Titan.
Many stories have progressed enough to be the topic of conversation from time to time. The novel, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus has different relationships to many other topics. The author of the story, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley who was born almost 200 years ago bringing with her the age of horror (Edison 5), used biographical strategies to write Frankenstein. Also, as time progressed, Frankenstein became a well-known story. It was turned into many different films that depicted the time period that it happened to be from. One final relationship that Frankenstein has happens to be the way that everyone can draw morals from the story, no matter what the reader’s age, or how the reader’s life has evolved.
When early civilization needed an explanation for something found in earth, they created a story to explain it. Prometheus, the creator of man in Greek Mythology, was used as a tool to show how man was created. His story demonstrates the consequences that come along with such a task, also. In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor is portrayed as the creator. The myth of Prometheus and the book Frankenstein, contain evident similarities. Both men create a being, and in turn, they suffer immense repercussions for their actions. When comparing these two pieces of literature, however, one can see there are many differences. In both Frankenstein and the myth of Prometheus, the views toward the creations, the price each creator pays for their actions, and the way they receive their punishments are complete opposites.
First of all, Victor Frankenstein’s character in Shelley’s text has the traits of a hero by his original intention for the monster and the similarities between Prometheus and Frankenstein. Aaron Atsma describes this correlation when he writes: “Many parallels can be drawn between Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and the story of Prometheus. Despit...
Initially, Frankenstein and Prometheus are similar because they pursue knowledge. In both stories, the protagonist is not content with being limited in what they know. Prometheus learns skills and trades from other Gods, as Frankenstein learns from his professors and continues his knowledge. They both share a fascination too, as Rebecca Dudczak points out. “Aside from the title, Shelley borrows from the tale of Prometheus a sense of consequence resulting from seeking enlightenment and power. Victor is her modern incarnation of Prometheus. He, as Prometheus was, is fascinated by the power of electricity (lightning). We can recall from the narrative the moment when he becomes captivated by its fantastical power.” This quote from the book itself will solidify this statemen...
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the Greek myth Prometheus mirror each other almost perfectly in many ways. Through significant events, they line up and connect. Both of the pieces main characters Victor and Prometheus undergo a transformation throughout their lives and face a variety of similar fates that lead to their demise. As power shifts throughout both pieces, the main focus is around both Victor Frankenstein and the Titan Prometheus and how both their transformations from various events both relate to each other. It is almost a cycle that starts at their very innocence, that will lead all the way up to their god like role where they both become afraid of losing their power and become punished in the process. But how do these two pieces
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as an ashamed, selfish, and weak creator; when compared to the other creation stories of “Genesis” and the “Myth of Prometheus” these flaws are even more apparent. In the stories of “Genesis” and “Myth of Prometheus” God, and Prometheus provided for their creation by giving them the means to survive whether it be giving them fire or a perfect Garden they could live in (Genesis 1:1 - 3:24 [King James Bible]); however, the story of Frankenstein and his monster is unlike them because when Frankenstein's’ monster (creation) comes to life he abandons it saying “.. Breathless horror, and disgust..” (Shelley 35) talking about his shame to create such a horrid, ugly abomination.
Frankenstein is referred to as the “Modern Prometheus” as there is increasingly evident comparison that can be made between the two. To modernize something means to make it in a time frame that is much closer to the present, rather than the original event- Mary Shelley does just this in her novel. In many ways Prometheus and Victor can be compared but some extremely evident comparisons are: allowing for the release of something destructive into society, using Earth itself to create the creator's creations, and defying a superior in the pursuit of knowledge. Frankenstein and Prometheus may have connections as old as history itself, regardless of the time frame, both stories of these individuals can be applied to one another. These creators
For example, Prometheus contributed something useful to society, while Victor created a monster and released it upon society. Cartwright writes, “…he [Prometheus] famously gave the human race the gift of fire and the skill of metalwork…” (Cartwright). Frankenstein remarks, “…who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror” (Shelley 141). This view is true, as Prometheus’s contribution helped mankind become strong, while Victor’s “contribution” only wreaked havoc and destruction among humans. Nevertheless, the fact still stands that both Victor and Prometheus gave something to society that they should not have, regardless of whether it was helpful or not. Moreover, Prometheus was praised by mankind for his actions, and Victor was not. Cartwright says, “Prometheus was worshipped in Athens […] …and there was an annual torch race held in the god’s honor” (Cartwright). Prometheus was celebrated for giving the humans fire, while Victor received no recognition. Although this claim makes sense, Victor kept his creation a secret from nearly everyone in his life (apart from Walton, who could not form an opinion on the monster because Victor had told him all of the horrible acts the monster had committed) and thus could not be praised or criticized. Though these discrepancies are valid, Victor and Prometheus share a particular trait that makes it sensible to call Frankenstein “The Modern Prometheus”: their association with science and how it affects their story. Victor remarks, “Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate…” (Shelley 31). Prometheus “also came to be associated with science and culture” (Cartwright). This similarity is crucial, due to the plots of both stories having to do with the two characters’ interest and knowledge of science and the
A modern day Prometheus, not so modern to us. Mary Shelley’s most iconic work, Frankenstein, reveals to the reader a look into 19th century literature at its finest. Prometheus, a Greek demi god that was accredited with the creation of man, sounds very different from the more modern mad scientist of England, Victor Frankenstein. It will become clear however, that these two seemingly polar opposites actually have a lot in common, this is how the story of Frankenstein, revered its nickname “The modern day Prometheus”. These two stories compare to each other by exhibiting the common aspect of the search for acceptance and love from the creator and from the creation.
Prometheus did have some differences than Dr. Frankenstein did. Prometheus never had any regrets with his actions, whereas Frankenstein definitely did. Although the similarities between the two were much greater between the two. Prometheus and Frankenstein believed they were bestowing great gifts on mankind, each believed they would be received as great heroes. Not that they were wrong. The seamen wanted to know very badly how to create life, but understood why Victor wouldn’t tell
One perception of Prometheus' actions views him as a hero: the creator of man, the giver of knowledge, one who is self-sacrificing for the good of others. Meanwhile, there is another perception of Prometheus' actions, which is almost the complete opposite of "Prometheus the Hero." That is the view that Prometheus was more the "usurper of their [the Gods'] powers" (Smith, p. 1) than a hero. It is the two contrasting views of the Prometheus myth that makes its connection to Frankenstein so intriguing. Frankenstein also has a duality in how its story is perceived. Was Victor Frankenstein the archetype of the Promethean hero, or was he the usurper of divine power? Although there are direct parallels between Victor Frankenstein's story and that of Prometheus, there are many differences that contribute to why Frankenstein was subtitled The Modern Prometheus. In following the pattern of a well-known Greek myth, with the addition of her own changes, Shelley makes it clear that Victor Frankenstein is more the usurper of divine power, as opposed to being an archetype of ...
Through the life of Victor Frankenstein, Mary Shelley shows how similar he is to the Greek god Prometheus. Both grew up in prestigious families and were able to create mankind through their own works. They brought a new meaning to life, yet were chastised for their determination for establishing life. Frankenstein is The Modern Prometheus.