University Essay: Frankenstein as Modern Prometheus

This essay analyzes Mary Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein," exploring the parallels between Victor Frankenstein and the mythological figure of Prometheus. It argues that Victor, like Prometheus, oversteps boundaries in his pursuit of knowledge and creation, leading to disastrous consequences. The ess...Read More

Running head: FRANKENSTEIN AS MODERN PROMETHEUS
Frankenstein as modern Prometheus
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus is the name of the novel that has been written
by Mary Shelley that talks about Victor Frankenstein who is a hideous creature within a
scientific experiment. It can be considered as first science fiction story as the main character in
the novel makes deliberate decisions and turns towards the modern experiments for achieving
great results. The novel reminds people regarding the figure Prometheus who formed the clay
image of the men and the women and he animated them by stealing the fire from the gods. It
helped mankind into coming into existence (Beer, pp 246). This essay discusses about why
Victor Frankenstein can be labeled as the modern day Prometheus. This essay argues that there
exists relation in between Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein due to the fact that both the
characters acted as the creator however both involved themselves in wrong acts that brought bad
consequences for the characters.
Mary Shelley used the myth of Prometheus so that the people can see the analogy in
between mythical figure and that of Victor who was an ambitious scientist who encroached in
the forbidden territory. He was an over-reacher who wanted to bring benefits for mankind. He
drifted into unknown territory for satisfying the thirst of the knowledge. He did not try to
understand pattern of the nature along with the principle of the life he displaced God who was
supreme creator (Garland‐Thomson, pp 18). He animated the dead matter that he assembled and
he created the new species. He was shocked by the discovery and this led him to abandon the
creature. His sin is amplified owing to the fact that he created the being but he does not take the
responsibility for the new creature that was created by him. He wanted to play the role of God
but he shirks the responsibility which a parent owes for the children. The monster is left alone to
wander about in the alien world regarding which he does not have any kind of knowledge. He
feeds on the roots along with the nuts and then discovers the element of fire.

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The creature is avoided by all men and he is beaten up by the people. The self-education process
starts in the event of the creature getting close to DE Lacey. He was able to learn about the
meaning of love, affection along with harmony and how these elements contribute to the
mankind (Moffat, pp 233). He learns the using of the language after he gets hold of the books
like the Plutarch’s Lives along with the Paradise Lost. He wants friendship along with love but in
reality he is turned into a monster. In the event of being nurtured by his creature, he would have
evolved into a normal being however the treatment that he gets at the hands of the people turns
him into that of a real monster. Modern Prometheus can be stated to be a blundering scientist
who involves himself in shirking the responsibility.
There exist two versions in relation to myth of the Prometheus. He was instrumental in
stealing fire from gods so that it could benefit the mankind. Other myth relates to the fact that he
created human beings out of the clay and he gave it life. In the novel Frankenstein, Aeschylus
version can be said to overlap with the version of Ovid. Prometheus was punished by the god
Zeus by chaining him to a rock and torturing him continuously for the crime that was committed
by him. Mary makes use of both the versions for the purpose of projecting her concern (Cutchins
and Dennis, pp 67). Ambitious scientist involves himself in a daring act and he involves himself
in displacing the role that was played by the Almighty God. He thought that the act that was
carried out by him was laudable and he wanted to banish disease from that of the human frame.
He however blunders and is punished for crime of the animation of dead matter. He disowned
the responsibility that amounted to a heinous act. He felt proud regarding his project that ruled
out role of both the God along with the woman. The following lines point forward to this fact:

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“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures
would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I
should deserve their’s.” (Archive.org., pp 12)
Frankenstein brought the creature to life however out of disgust he ran away after the
creation of the new being. Frankenstein could not bear to see the horrifying creature and it makes
him feel ill. The oversized body of the monster along with the unsightly proportions of the
monster brought immense agony to Victor. The creature felt abandoned and he attacked the
loved ones of Victor. The first victim of the monster was the brother of Victor called William
Frankenstein. It can be said that there exists co-relation in between Prometheus and that of Victor
Frankenstein as Shelley has likened the figure of Frankenstein to classical father of the mankind.
Both the figures form the living being out of the lifeless material.
Prometheus was thought of to be a symbol of the civilization within Romantic era. Victor at the
time of his early studies harboured the opinion that:
“the world was to me was a secret, which I desired to discover” (Archive.org., pp 66).
He wanted to know about the secrets of the world that made him go beyond what the ordinary
man could achieve. He goes beyond natural limits that make him bear severe consequences.
Prometheus myth was used by the novelist so that people can understand analogy in
between the mythical figure Prometheus along with that of the Victor Frankenstein. Victor was
the ambitious scientist that made him move towards the forbidden territory. He wanted to quell
the thirst of immense knowledge that made him move beyond the natural limits. The people beat
the creature as it looked monstrous. Self-education process started when creature came close to
the family of De Lacey. He was able to understand the meaning of affection with the help of

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their love. The creature was brought to life however the creator ran away out of immense hatred
of his creation.

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References
Archive.org. "Full Text Of "Frankenstein 1818 Edition"". Archive.Org, 2019,
https://archive.org/stream/Frankenstein1818Edition/frank-a5_djvu.txt.
Beer, John. "Mary Shelley, Frankenstein." A Companion to Romanticism (2017): 245-254.
Cutchins, Dennis R., and Dennis R. Perry. "Introduction: The Frankenstein Complex: when the
text is more than a text." Adapting Frankenstein. Manchester University Press, 2018.
Garland‐Thomson, Rosemarie. "Unexpected Creatures: Procreative Liberty and the Frankenstein
Ballet." Hastings Center Report 48.6 (2018): 18-20.
Moffat, Nicola. "Monstrous Promises: Performative Acts and Corporeality in Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein." Somatechnics8.2 (2018): 232-247.