Stories are often so similar to each other that people are able to compare the two stories. After reading and discussing Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and reviewing the story of Prometheus, I have concluded that the two tales have two identical characters: Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose experiment goes terribly wrong, and Prometheus, a Titan. Because of these characters, the stories have triggered curiosity in a profuse amount of people, and these people have formed varying opinions of the two stories in relation to each other, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. I believe Frankenstein by Mary Shelley does deserve the alternate title “The Modern Prometheus” as they share several components.
Initially, both Victor and Prometheus
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acquired concepts that were considered forbidden. First, Victor had the knowledge of bestowing life upon inanimate objects. Mary Shelley writes, “I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 43). This quote shows how Victor obtained this knowledge, and wanted to create a human-like creature from dead body parts, for the subject of life and death fascinated him. This was considered taboo knowledge because giving life to a deceased creature is thought to be scientifically impossible, and Victor’s actions would be seen as supernatural. Second, Prometheus stole fire from the gods. According to writer Mark Cartwright, “…Prometheus raided the workshop of Hephaistos and Athena on Mt. Olympus and stole fire…” (Cartwright). Prometheus retrieved the fire because he pitied man’s weak and naked state, and gave them fire, as that would help them through life’s struggle. Fire was a substance that was restricted from anyone but the gods, hence why Prometheus was punished for not only stealing it, but also supplying mankind with it. Third, both Victor and Prometheus gained access to ideas that were related to science. Victor Frankenstein states, “I revolved these circumstances in my mind, and determined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to those branches of natural philosophy which relate to physiology” (Shelley 42). Prometheus also came to be associated with science (Cartwright). Both Frankenstein and Prometheus made advances in science with what they procured. Therefore, Victor and Prometheus gaining possession of something that is prohibited is a similarity between the two stories. Next, both Victor and Prometheus faced negative consequences for their actions. To begin, Victor became depressed as a result of his creation, and was mentally tormented. Victor declares, “…for I was a shattered wreck — the shadow of a human being,” which reveals how Victor’s action of creating the monster indirectly led to his depression, as the monster killed people Victor was fond of in order to get revenge on him (Shelley 155). In addition, Prometheus was tortured physically for taking the fire. Cartwright asserts, “…Prometheus was chained to a rock and Zeus sent an eagle to eat the Titan’s liver” (Cartwright). Prometheus’s punishment was perpetual, for his liver would grow back everyday for the eagle to eat. Furthermore, Victor and Prometheus were isolated as a form of suffering. Victor proclaims, “I saw an insurmountable barrier placed between me and my fellow men…” (Shelley 135). Zeus “…punished the Titan by taking him far to the east…” (Cartwright). For both of the characters, detachment from other people was an indirect form of punishment. Victor isolated himself from society because he felt he did not belong, since he created a monster, and Prometheus was forcefully taken to an area where he had no contact with other people. Thus, the consequences that Victor and Prometheus faced for their actions is another aspect the two stories have in common. However, there are differences between the two stories that may make people believe Frankenstein does not deserve the title “The Modern Prometheus”.
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
consequences they faced because of it. Hence, despite the dissimilarities between the two stories, Frankenstein can still have the alternate title of “The Modern Prometheus”. In conclusion, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley can also be called “The Modern Prometheus” due to their many parallels. The story of Victor Frankenstein has an identical premise to the story of the Titan, Prometheus. The two tales have various comparable characteristics, such as their theft of something banned and the outcome, that allow the title of “Frankenstein” and “The Modern Prometheus” to be interchangeable for Mary Shelley’s story. One would only come to this conclusion after closely reading and reviewing the stories of Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus. Comparing these two works intensively demonstrates how it is simple to find similarities and differences between two separate pieces of literature.
Whether atop the baffling Mount Olympus or below in the blank slate of a city being Ingolstadt, a mythological god and a man seek power on their trek to greatness. Both Zeus of the Greek gods in “The Story of Prometheus” and the simple man Victor Frankenstein of the literature work Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, can be viewed as leaders who lost their purpose in their quest for power. Victor possesses more morality in his actions, while Zeus rules with an iron fist and does not care what happens to the ones around him. To understand the beneficial traits and flaws of these characters, one must delve into the stories of their lives. These characters throughout literature show signs of great potential, but also of substantial corruption. Disregarding the feelings of others, along with a
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”-John Green, an American author of young adult fiction, such as The Fault in Our Stars, and the YouTube blogger of crash course history. The mythological character Prometheus and Victor from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, try to influence mankind in a positive way, but instead the result is detrimental to society. Victor and Prometheus both want to help mankind, regardless, both overstep their bounds, and are severely punished. Although their true characters are revealed through how they handle their suffering.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is ‘one of the pioneering works of modern science fiction’, and is also a frightening story that speaks to the ‘mysterious fears of our nature’. Mary Shelley mocks the idea of “playing God”, the idea that came from the Greek myth of Prometheus, of the Greek titan who stole Zeus’ gift of life. Both the story of Frankenstein and Prometheus reveal the dark side of human nature and the dangerous effects of creating artificial life. Frankenstein reveals the shocking reality of the consequences to prejudging someone. The creature’s first-person narration reveals to us his humanity, and his want to be accepted by others even though he is different.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, Walter James Miller, and Harold Bloom. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: New American Library, 2000. Print.
James Whale's Frankenstein is a VERY loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. The spirit of the film is preserved in its most basic sense, but the vast majority of the story has been entirely left out, which is unfortunate. The monster, for example, who possesses tremendous intellect in the novel and who goes on an epic quest seeking acceptance into the world in which he was created, has been reduced to little more than a lumbering klutz whose communication is limited to unearthly shrieks and grunts. Boris Karloff was understandably branded with the performance after the film was released, because it was undeniably a spectacular performance, but the monster's character was severely diminished from the novel.
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.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
In the Bible, the book of Genesis 1:27 states that "God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Creating both men and women in His image, God is the only person who can do this successfully, giving us unconditional love and never abandoning us throughout our journey in life. On the other hand, Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist creates a life form due to his love of natural sciences. His desire to create this life form only for an experimental purpose unknowingly leads to disastrous outcomes for both Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the monster. In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein uses his knowledge where he violates ethical principles by playing God and creating a life form that he is ultimately ashamed of.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
For my final project of the novel unit, I chose the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley and first published in 1818. Frankenstein is a tale about an ambitious young scientist who in his practice oversteps the boundaries of acceptable science and creates a monster which destroys everything Victor Frankenstein loved and held dear.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus can be interpreted as a chilling warning of the dangers of scientific overreaching and ambition. Mary Shelley was already aware of the works of scientists such as Erasmus Darwin and was being influenced by writers such as Byron when, at “the age of nineteen, she achieved the quietly astonishing feat of looking beyond them and creating a lasting symbol of the perils of scientific Prometheanism” (Joseph, 1998, p, xiii). The fact that Shelley parallels her story of Frankenstein with the myth of Prometheus is interesting and gives an immediate insight into the extent of criticism she bestows on Victor Frankenstein’s scientific ambition. In one version of the Prometheus myth (Prometheus Pyprphoros) he brought down fire from the sun to succour mankind, and was then punished by being chained up with an eagle feasting on his liver in a perpetual cycle. In another version (Prometheus Plasticator) he animated a man from clay in an act of usurping God. The undoing of Frankenstein can be taken as a metaphor for either version and is key to understanding that as Shelley orchestrates Victor’s downfall she is presenting his actions as a warning of what horrors blind scientific ambition can wreak upon mankind.