In Mary Shelly’s novel, there are lots of references to God and the bible. Intertextual allusions are used by authors to make the reader think beyond the meaning of the text in front of them. Frankenstein has another title. And it is very important us to understand the mythological symbols in the novel. The other title is The Modern Prometheus. Mary Shelly named her book as Modern Prometheus is an important thing. To understand its importance I start my essay with the definition of Prometheus. In Ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus is said to be the most intelligent of all the Titans. In the form of fire, Prometheus is credited with bringing human knowledge and enlightenment. He steals the secret fire from the Gods of Mount Olympus. To protest decree of the Gods, who want to keep the power of fire for themselves, Prometheus is toughly punished. He is chained to a rock to have his liver eaten out every day by an eagle. Every night his liver would grow back. This is his punishment for all of the eternity. …show more content…
In both stories, there is birth, hope, revolution, and pain. The fate of the creators is similar. Prometheus is always with mankind but Frankenstein is the creature only when he is obliged to be. Unlike Frankenstein, however, Prometheus never succumbs to his punishment.
So why is Frankenstein reflected as Prometheus? Because they are both about electricity and lightning, they both give life to something or someone. The conclusion is “man” and “creature, monster” they are both against the order of nature so results; eternally pain. Driving by his mother’s death, Frankenstein looks to science for the way of combat to death and sickness for his personal glory. By giving life to his monster, he manages to attain the knowledge and status similar to God, the original
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
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. The 1818 Text. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.
Throughout all of history, people are shown to be most strongly driven by passion. This passion can either be born from negative emotions or positive emotions, which are both extremely powerful. Positive and negative emotions greatly affect how people perceive the world and how they interact with their surroundings. One of the most influential forms of negative feelings is despair: the soul-crushing, everlasting type of sorrow that has no end and beats a person with relentless grief. Despair causes detrimental behavior because it destroys positive interactions. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s character demonstrates how despair makes people become dishonest with themselves and others, creates changes in personality,
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is subtitled "The Modern Prometheus", and rightfully so. Prometheus, the Titan of Greek mythology that created man and gave them fire, is a fitting symbol for Victor Frankenstein, the man who created a "monster" and gave him life. The most obvious aspect of the similarity between Frankenstein and the Prometheus myth is the underlying theme - both stories deal with ill-fated actions with tragic consequences. The classic Prometheus stories, as told by Aeschylus, Percy Bysshe Shelley and summarized by Edith Hamilton, contain symbolic and thematic elements that closely parallel Mary Shelley's "modern Prometheus."
The classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has many themes within it. These themes are both obvious and inconspicuous. These themes involve family and isolation; ambition and fallibility; secrecy; revenge; prejudice; lost innocence; and knowledge, wisdom, and discernment.
Striking similarities between a duo of novels are not unusual. The novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, deals with a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who embodies a creature, who eventually wreaks havoc on his life. The novel Lost Paradise, by John Milton, exposes the cruelty of Christianity or the Christian God within the characters God, Satan, Adam, and Eve. Victor Frankenstein and God have many similarities, as they are both creators of incarnations. Victor's creature known as the monster shows striking similarities with Satan and Adam. Characters from different novels have similar personalities.
During the 1700s, the Enlightenment period in Europe was at its highest peak. It was at this time that author Mary Shelley decided to create her most famous novel, Frankenstein. Amidst a rainy day on Lake Geneva, author Mary Shelley was stuck in a house with a few Romantic poets, so in order to pass the time Lord Byron suggested that they each compose a ghost story to entertain each other. Promptly, Shelly began to conceive a horrific tale that demonstrates the detrimental effects of isolation on the mind and soul. In the novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley delineates the theme of isolation and its destructive power using evolution in tone, allusions to the Bible, and symbolism.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
When comparing these two stories of literature the reader can see they were written in two different viewpoints. For example, When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the tree. In the Book of Genesis the reader is told that Adam and Ever were together when Eve was faced with temptation to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Therefore she was not alone when she was tempted by the Serpent. In the Milton’s Lost Paradise versio...
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
There are many different themes expressed in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. They vary with each reader but basically never change. These themes deal with the education that each character posses, the relationships formed or not formed in the novel, and the responsibility for ones own actions. This novel even with the age still has ideas that can be reasoned with even today.
While reading through any piece of literature, understanding why the author chose the words they use is very important. Through different techniques the author will choose words that have an underlying meaning to them. While it is imperative that you read and understand the words straight from the page, it is equally as important to analyze and understand exactly what they mean. Using external sources to understand the setting and culture in which the author lived, as well as contextual clues in the reading is necessary to get a full understanding of any piece of literature. Specifically, this paper will be looking at Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein through different interpretations. Themes and symbolism are two of the most important aspects that authors use to convey deeper meaning, and is vital to the reader’s full understanding of the literature.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as a modern day version of the legend of Prometheus. Prometheus created men out of clay and taught them the "arts of civilisation" (Webster's World Encyclopedia CD-ROM 1999). Zeus, the chief god of the Titans, wanted to destroy Prometheus' creation but Prometheus stole fire from heaven to help mankind. Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock where an eagle would feed on his liver during the day and each night the liver would grow back. Prometheus was able to bargain for his release because he knew a secret which concerned Zeus' future. Heracles shot the eagle and so Prometheus gained release. Victor Frankenstein is Shelley's modern Prometheus in that he, too, created man. The themes that relate to the myth of Prometheus in the novel are Frankenstein's torment, the monster's education, and the absolute determination of the individual spirit and how this determination can rival that of God. Shelley uses these themes to show that the human spirit is capable of many things - of noble pursuits that rival God himself, but also of the darkest of actions that draw comparisons with the acts of Satan.