Examples Of Human Flaws In Frankenstein

Mary Shelley and William Shakespeare both portray their characters, Macbeth and Victor Frankenstein, to have human flaws. These weaknesses develop throughout the books. These flaws have a lasting impact on both characters. This leads to the initial downfall for them both.

Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. Prometheus is used in the title to show how Frankenstein didn’t care for his creation like Prometheus had to his creation. Mary Shelley depicts Victor Frankenstein has weaknesses before, during and after he constructs his concept on human life. Throughout this analysis of Frankenstein’s human judgement, it can be seen that many flaws occur as the character is developed and shown to the reader as the book goes

on.
William Shakespeare scripted the play Macbeth. He wrote this play to impress King James I and to show what the ideal king should be like. This was similar to James I writings. Shakespeare represents Macbeth to have human errors. Some of these errors are due to his inquisitiveness and some are due to his wife, Lady Macbeth’s influence. The mistakes and choices he makes are presented throughout the play.
Curiosity was the first of Frankenstein’s many weaknesses.

It was also his earliest weakness as it showed that he was curious from a very young age. “The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember.” Shelley gives Frankenstein’s character a youngster’s curiosity as children seek to find out secrets that are masked from them. The word ‘rapture’ defines emotion that he feels when certain secrets that are exposed to him. This means his emotions change and he has a feeling of pleasure when he finds out new things. He has a thirst for knowledge and feels proud when he finds out something new. This interest in human life progresses into an obsession to find out about the creation of human life. His thirst for knowledge is portrayed through obsessive compulsions “I always came from my studies discontented and unsatisfied.” Shelley shows that he has grown a fixation on life. This shows this flaw in his character is a curious mind turning into a mental obsession. He feels the need to develop his ideas into reality. He becomes too engrossed in his work that he becomes isolated from the outside world and feels alienated from the environment around him. This leads to people that love him suffering from the consequences of his

weakness.
Comparing both texts, it can be seen that in the Shakespeare’s Macbeth that the character Macbeth has a similar flaw of a curious mind turning into an obsession.

“Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.” Shakespeare uses the phrase ‘Tell me more’ to show that Macbeth wants to delve deeper and uncover more secrets about his future self and how he can change his future by his own will. He then goes back to the witches, which shows he is now desperate and obsessed to find out more about what’s going to happen to him in the future. “Yet my heart throbs to know one thing. Tell me.” He is anxious to know what is going to happen to him and also feels alienated and isolated by the environment around him. He also becomes occupied in what his future is going to be like that he is hurting people around him, this is similar to

Frankenstein.
This obsession leads Frankenstein to another human error which was ambition. He wanted to know and do things all at once. He thought only his theories were right. But he was proven wrong. “The ambition of the enquirer seemed to limit itself to the annihilation of those visions on which my interest in science was chiefly founded.” Shelley talks about how Frankenstein’s views have now changed due to him moving to another place and finding out how science has advanced and progressed and that all his theories might not be right. This has weakened his resolve and he can’t achieve his ambition. The word ‘annihilation’ describes that all that he thought was true, has now been crushed and been proven wrong. At the time the Modern Prometheus had been written, science was developing and new information was being introduced. So when science was improving on ideas, it disproved his ideas which lead to frustration on his part. He wanted to challenge these new concepts but didn’t realise that this would come with consequences. Although he created life as he has known it. This inevitably led to his downfall. This included losing the people he loved most.
This differs from Macbeth as he had an ambition to succeed and become king. “Let not light see my black and deep desires.” Shakespeare uses these words to show Macbeth’s yearning to become king. Although, he suppresses this by his human conscious to not do wrong but feels tempted to fulfil his ambition. When he does this, the outcome of his temptation is losing the people he trusted. This can be paralleled to Frankenstein because he also wanted to achieve his objective but couldn’t as it came down in ruins.
Paranoia was another weakness that both Macbeth and Frankenstein held. Frankenstein was paranoid due to the fact that he thought his creation was going to get revenge on him. “I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health…. I beheld the wretch – the miserable monster I had created.” Shelley uses these words to create an impact on the reader suggesting that Frankenstein is slowly turning mad and is too engrossed in his creation that it is affecting his personal life and the people he loves. His fear of the monster coming back has made him distrust people he’s close too and alienates and removes himself from people around him.
Similarly, Macbeth is also paranoid in a sense that he is intent on killing people to reach the crown “Our fears in Banquo stick deep” Shakespeare uses this phrase to express Macbeth’s fear of Banquo telling people that he killed Duncan that he would actually kill his best friend to accomplish his aim. The difference between Macbeth and Frankenstein flaw was that Macbeth was killing people to achieve his goal whereas Frankenstein’s loved ones demises came as a result of his obsessiveness to find out human creation.
Both of the men had females who dominated their lives differently. Lady Macbeth dominated Macbeth by telling him to kill Duncan so he can get the crown. “How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me… as you had done to this.” The playwright uses persuasion to influence Macbeth to kill Duncan and commit other murders. Throughout the play, the partner’s dominance is slowly lost and Macbeth no longer confides with her, with his plans. During the Elizabethan era, female dominance was uncommon, so it would have been a shock to the audience as they weren’t use to this. Whereas in the 21st century there are more emphasis of female empowerment.
Whereas with Victor Frankenstein this is not the case, as he is trying to protect his partner rather than letting her influence him. “Yet I would die to make her happy.” These words show how willing Victor is to lay down his life for the person that he loves. The word ‘die’ suggests that he wouldn’t think twice about his own life just to keep his beloved’s one safe. “I considered whether my marriage would hasten my fate. My destruction might indeed arrive a few months sooner.” Shakespeare uses this statement to create the effect that if anything happens to Elizabeth, Victor would be vulnerable and it would cause him to be an easy target. This shows that female dominance is a weakness in a multiple of ways. Whether it’s letting them control you, like with Macbeth, or if something happens to them and it leaves you defenceless, like with Frankenstein.
The centre of all these flaws was the secrets that Macbeth and Frankenstein were keeping. The secrets that Macbeth kept were those that led him to his ultimate demise.
Human endeavour comes with many different consequences; curiosities turned into obsession, ambition, paranoia and female dominance are a few of the listed flaws that flow through the fictional world of Frankenstein and Macbeth. Human desire for success can bring out these flaws which can prove disastrous for them. This can lead to death and mourning but also