Differences And Similarities Between Frankenstein And Oryx And Crake

In William Shakespeare's Tempest the main protagonist Prospero acts as a manipulator, just like the scientists Frankenstein from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Crake from Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. In each novel, the authors show how these knowledgeable characters go beyond what humans should be allowed to do. They forcefully taint nature and the author reflects these actions as negative. In Tempest, Prospero learns magic and while doing so cuts himself from society and in turn his role as a duke. Both Frankenstein and Crake share these similarities. Each pursues knowledge and while doing so isolates them from society. The personalities of the characters also reenforce this comparison. Prospero before he sees the evil in his magic

was abusive and overpowering with his magic. He was revengeful but ultimately kept his goal of having the best interest of his daughter, Miranda, at heart. Similarly, Frankenstein is arrogant but closely attached to his close family, the people he loves.

Crake is manipulative of Jimmy, but seems to have to goal of saving humanity in his own way. Overall these scientists defy and test nature with their knowledge. Prospero’s hand manipulation, Ariel, who is a supernatural spirit analyzes Prospero’s revenge on the people he is manipulating. Ariel declares that he feels his actions of revenge and manipulation have gone too far. He says that “He would feel bad for the recipients of his manipulation if he were human”. This changes Prospero’s mind about being an all powerful wizard and realizes that he is better off not acting as God. Unfortunately Frankenstein and Crake face repercussions for playing with nature as God would. Frankenstein after creating his creature and not fostering it as it’s creator faces a miserable end. His creation kills each one of the people dear to him. This is especially tragic because in the first place the people he loved were the only people in his life that mattered to him. Perhaps this is why he could not open his heart to the creator he created. Crake’s ending is a little more complicated. It is hard to see that Crake’s end was tragic because it seems that his death was the result of his own

planning. He wanted Jimmy to shoot him. He succeeds in confining Jimmy to a life of protecting his creatures, the Crakers, but loses in how his creatures turn out. According to Crake his creatures would never elect a leader or develope religion. Jimmy finds that both these things happen. Crake was so confident in his creatures that he eliminated the human race along with himself. His creatures failed what he thought they would be and thus his ultimate goal was destroyed. He eliminated humanity with no cause. (Not that it was a good reason in the first place) They are both unable to overcome the fault in their actions against nature. Defy nature and nature defies you. Instead they should have been like Prospero and seen that a simple life, without playing with Godly, can lead a life of freedom and blissful happiness.