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Impact on Greek mythology literature
Impact on Greek mythology literature
Influence of classical mythology on literature
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the Greek myth Prometheus mirror each other almost perfectly in many ways. Through significant events, they line up and connect. Both of the pieces main characters Victor and Prometheus undergo a transformation throughout their lives and face a variety of similar fates that lead to their demise. As power shifts throughout both pieces, the main focus is around both Victor Frankenstein and the Titan Prometheus and how both their transformations from various events both relate to each other. It is almost a cycle that starts at their very innocence, that will lead all the way up to their god like role where they both become afraid of losing their power and become punished in the process. But how do these two pieces …show more content…
relate to each other in such an unbreakable yet almost obvious way? The key to the solution is within these certain events that both of the main characters are presented with as they go through a dramatic change from god to mortal. Starting off with Victor Frankenstein, he starts out as an innocent man with a lust for knowledge. It is where the beginning of his development occurs. His background is considered poor by his superiors and he is rendered wrong during his time in Ingolstadt. After a few years when he becomes obsessed with the many secrets of life, Victor sought out to master it and compose a being that would surpass all humans. Victor crosses the boundary and goes over the top when a being created by his hand is formed consisting of body parts, materials and electricity. With the shock and disgust, Victor abandons his creation, and is driven mad and to the brink of utmost insanity. Victor receives backlash as the creature punishes him by harming and murdering everyone he ever cared about. He gave up his responsibility to contain, teach and nurture the creature and it slowly lead to Victor's downfall. He even reveals the state he is in at the trial of Justine and says this, "Nothing is more painful to the human mind than, after the feelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows and deprives the soul both of hope and fear" (Shelley 93). Crossing the boundaries and playing the god like figure and isolating himself to his mad obsession, resulted with a negative effect as these major events transpired. The Titan Prometheus was a spared Titan as himself and Epimetheus fought for the gods.
This is where it would all begin. After the war ended, Prometheus was tasked as the role creator to create the human race. With the help of Athena breathing life into the clay figures constructed by the hands of Prometheus and Epimetheus giving the mortals specific qualities, Prometheus's creation was complete. When wanting to construct the mortals to be more superior than the gods themselves, Prometheus played Zeus and tricked him which would cause his many punishments to start. Zeus would remove fire from the mortals and leave them without light or warmth. Prometheus grew displeasure and quickly returned fire back to the mortals outraging Zeus which backlashed on Prometheus physically and mentally. He had to be chained to a giant rock and have is liver devoured by an enormous eagle everyday, his liver would also regenerate for endless torture. He would also watch his creations suffer through Zeus, from Pandora opening a box containing diseases and evil and much, much more. He failed the responsibility of keeping his beings well flourished. Prometheus as not only punished himself, but his being composed of clay as well. Prometheus had great affection for the mortals, the myth reveals it by stating this, "Prometheus loved man more than the Olympians, who had banished most of his family to Tartarus" (Hunt, line 8). Prometheus would go from a devoted follower of Zeus, to a risk taker that would cross Zeus's boundaries, leading him to utter pain and misery as a punishment in the
end. Lastly, the two key characters from both pieces that connect them together are vital to these pieces. Walton from Frankenstein and to dive even deeper into the Prometheus myth, Heracles. These two characters have a huge impact on it all. When Walton finds Victor, and brings him aboard where he is cared for, Victor wishes to tell his story to Walton. Walton was content and also curious to hear Victor's tale, as Walton wrote to his sister about his thoughts about it, he said, "You may easily imagine that I was much gratified by the offered communication, yet I could not endure that he should renew his grief by a recital of his misfortunes. I felt the greatest eagerness to hear the promised narrative, partly from curiosity" (Shelley 31). Allowing Victor to get his story off his chest by telling Walton, also allowed Victor to be free from the invisible chains and made Victor finally able to rest. Heracles on the other hand was integrated into the Prometheus, where Heracles would arrive to the mountain where Prometheus was chained and tortured and would slain the very eagle that was eating Prometheus's liver. With the eagle out of the way, Heracles would end up freeing the titan from the unbreakable chains and would lift his punishment forever. Without Walton or Heracles, Victor and Prometheus would be in an eternity of madness with no hope to escape. To conclude, the certain events in both pieces connect to each other most certainly. Reader finds that both Victor and Prometheus start off as innocent beings both fascinated by life and seek out to compose their own creations and take up the mantle as the god role. Through both electricity and the power of Athena, both creators fantasies turn into reality. With crossing the boundaries both Victor and Prometheus suffer the consequences and are punished, they both lose something dear to them. Victor loses his loved ones, while Prometheus watches man get sick and die. Both creators wanted their creations to surpass their own and succeed in the places where they could not. Walton and Heracles are the saviors to the creators who help break the chains and set both Victor and Prometheus free in the end. To finish off, The characters who are faced with these key events help shape and form many parallels. With that the pieces Prometheus and Frankenstein are related more than one might think.
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
Allusions to the Greek Myth of Prometheus allow insightful readers to withhold a better understanding of the story of Prometheus. First, from the poem “Prometheus” by Marin Sorescu we were given a piece that has far more meaning to the text then is depicted. “Whoever said I was chained” (Sorescu 1). Said the mighty Prometheus, which I believe portrays how free Prometheus feels due to the eagle’s presence and how itself has the freedom to soar in the sky and be free with itself. Next, from D'aulaires’ Book Of Greek Myths we read through a number of passages that gave us more understanding as to how Prometheus cares for his creations, the humans. “Prometheus could not bear to see his people suffer and he decided to steal fire, though he knew
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
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
Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is a classic novel. Frankenstein is about a man named Victor Frankenstein who set out on a quest after his mother died. His quest was to reanimate a body to learn how to maybe bring back his mother. After years of work and isolation Victor succeeded, but was horrified by his creation. After rejecting his creation the monster swore vengeance. For the rest of the novel the monster haunts Victor, by killing his loved ones and in some cases trying to force Victor into creating another monster. Victor Frankenstein; A young Swiss boy, he grows up in Geneva reading the works of the ancient and outdated alchemists, a background that serves him ill when he attends university at Ingolstadt. There
Prometheus takes the human side in the negotiation because he sympathizes with their ongoing struggle for survival and also intends to make the world a better place. Prometheus realized that it was his duty to aid the humans when he “found them living in caves, and in holes of the Earth, shivering with cold because there was no fire…” (Baldwin et al. 1). Prometheus empathizes with the humans’ struggle for survival as they do not have fire or any of the techniques needed to survive. This follows the theme of someone of a higher status wanting to give the same opportunities that he/she had to someone of a lower
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores the downfall of certain human characteristics, set to the backdrop of creation, destruction, and preservation. The subtitle denoted by Shelly herself supports this idea, by relating the fact that the title can be viewed as either Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. One scholar, Marilyn Butler, also maintains this by noting, "It can be a late version of the Faust Myth"(302). Shelly uses the story of the main character, Victor Frankenstein, to produce the concept of a dooming human characteristic of which Frankenstein states, "I have . . . been blasted in these hopes"(Shelley, 152). The reader finds, as a result of his thirst for knowledge and infatuation with science, Victor creates a living being by whom he has "suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes"(Shelley, 17). Eventually, Victor realizes this self-destructive trait, but he is not able to save himself stating, "I have lost everything, and cannot begin life anew"(Shelley, 16). Although everything in his life that is dear has been lost, Victor is able to convince one in his same position--Robert Walton--to not "lead [his crew] unwillingly to danger"(Shelley, 151). While addressing the concept of characteristic and self-discovery, it is possible to realize that the monster also possesses the characteristics held by both Victor and Walton; except in his learning, the monster is driven to continue to cause destruction. Most important about the thirst for knowledge is that, as a form of human characteristic or downfall, it leads to large, critical pieces of self-discovery. In obtaining these critical pieces, Frankenstein finds satisfaction in j...
Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the embodiment of the Greek titan, Prometheus. Victor is controlled by his desire for results but he ignores his path to getting those results. It’s helpful that he is able to ignore reality when doing so because then he is able to focus more on the developments. Being on the selfish side, Victor Frankenstein never bothers with the questions such as “Why” but focuses on the “Why not”. Victor Frankenstein is the modern Prometheus because of his realization when reality does not match what he imagined, brute strength to compensate for his ignorance and constant reluctant to take responsibility for his actions.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Written in 1817 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is a novel about the "modern Prometheus", the Roman Titian who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The story takes place in several European countries during the late 1700's. It is the recollection of Victor Frankenstein to a ship captain about his life. Victor is a student of science and medicine who discovers a way to reanimate dead flesh. In a desire to create the perfect race he constructs a man more powerful than any normal human, but the creation is so deformed and hideous that Victor shuns it. The creation then spends a year wandering searching for companionship, but everywhere he goes he is shunned and feared. Hating life the creature turns its misery on its creator, killing off Victors family.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Mythologies are traditionally stories that concern the early history of religion and people or the explanation of a natural or social phenomenon. Myths are often referenced by authors, as allusions, in their novels. The myth of Prometheus, the creator of man, is the story of a god who is sentenced to suffer for eternity for disobeying god. Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as a modern Prometheus in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through, the methods used for the creation of man, his desire to create man, and the punishment he receives from his creation and himself. As the novel progresses, so does the similarities between Frankenstein and Prometheus. Due to the various similarities between them, a conclusion that Frankenstein portrays Prometheus
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein (sometimes also known as The Modern Prometheus) is the classic gothic novel of her time. In this eerie tale, Dr. Victor Frankenstein – suffering from quite an extreme superiority complex – brings to life a creature made from body parts of deceased individuals from nearby cemeteries. Rather than to embrace the Creature as his own, Frankenstein alienates him because of his unpleasant appearance. Throughout the novel, the Creature is ostracized not only by Frankenstein but by society as a whole. Initially a kind and gentle being, the Creature becomes violent and eventually seeks revenge for his creator’s betrayal. Rather than to merely focus on the exclusion of the Creature from society, Shelley depicts the progression of Dr. Frankenstein’s seclusion from other humans as well, until he and the Creature ultimately become equals – alone in the world with no one to love, and no one to love them back. Frankenstein serves as more than simply a legendary tale of horror, but also as a representation of how isolation and prejudice can result in the demise of the individual.
Hesiod, a Greek Poet, describes Prometheus as a trickster because he outwitted Zeus by offering him a false sacrifice that included a choice between bones and meat. This angered Zeus so much that he decided he would not give the power of fire to the “Melian race of mortal men who live on the earth” (Hesiod, Card 545). According to Hesiod, Prometheus was able to outwit Zeus by stealing fire from Mount Olympus in a “hollow fennel stalk.” Hesiod’s telling of the myth doesn’t explain why Prometheus stole the fire but after analyzing later retellings it is evident that he did so to help the human race in their development as a civilization. Zeus made sure that both Prometheus and mankind would suffer for Prometheus’ decision to go against Zeus. For example, Zeus said, “You stole the fire and tricked me, happily, you, plague on all mankind and on yourself. They’ll pay for fire: I’ll give another gift to men, an evil thing for their delight” (Hesiod, Card 545). The “gift” that Zeus is referring to is Pandora, the first woman on Earth. Pandora unknowingly released famine, disease, and plague into the world when her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the box that Zeus gave her. Zeus also made sure to punish Prometheus directly by bounding him to a rock “with inextricable bonds and cruel chains” where an eagle would eat his immortal liver every day creating an eternal and
From the begging of time, where humans where non-existent, the nature of gods was very chaotic due to there always being a power struggle between the gods. Through myths, many people were able to take into accounts of how the gods interacted with humans for better or for worse. It was known to many Greek citizens that gods were these almighty powerful beings who were praised and had to be treated with respect and dignity. Many people also feared the gods because there were known to disguise themselves as humans, and lay curses to those who did not obey the beliefs that the gods expected. Due to the power struggles between the gods many humans were caught in the crossfire because each god cared about power and rule. Aeschylus’ tragedy “Prometheus