Theme Of Monstrosity In The Tempest

The definition of ‘monstrosity’ and what it means to be ‘monstrous’ can be understood to mean something that is visually unattractive, malformed and/or terrifying. However, monstrosity is not exclusively about something aesthetically ugly, it can also apply to what differs from what is considered ‘normality’. What is ‘normal’ versus what is ‘monstrous’ is closely linked when exploring ideas about the human condition. The representations of monstrosity in Frankenstein and in The Tempest reveal how what is monstrous and what is normal are often found side by side, challenging the idea that it is limited to outcasts who do not ‘fit-in’, and that deep down, a desire to be understood, accepted and included and to live life with meaning are central to the human condition and that monsters in society often reveal our deep seated fears and anxieties about our own existence.

What is defined as ‘natural’ or normal can be seen as monstrous and ‘unnatural’ for another. This contributes to the differing ideas of the human condition and what defines a human being. Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley 's’ Frankenstein had spent most of his life in the task of creating life. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.” (Ch. V) The Creature that is created by Frankenstein is immediately neglected by his creator. A creature

By means of looking at different representations of monstrosity we find how two different characters are effected by their surroundings and how their dissimilarity in nature has caused others to isolate or lower them in society. With this, we discover what monstrosity suggests about the human condition and how a living thing that does not relate closely to what is essentially “human” is seen as unnatural and