Similarities Between Frankenstein And The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

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The Ancient Mariner V.S. Frankenstein

In The Rime of The Ancient Mariner, the form structure of the poem is made simple by giving the reader a distinct amount of information. Its frame depicts a story- within a story, by allowing the speaker of the poem to be the narrator and direct the action to another character. First there is the story of The Mariner and the wedding guest, then The Mariner telling his own tale to the wedding guest about his voyage. The reader has a limited amount of information regarding the thoughts of both characters and is only receiving information from The Mariner. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the same type of frame structure used by Coleridge was also used by Shelley, but in a more complex way. Mary Shelley begins …show more content…

When Frankenstein comes into contact with Walton, he tells his story to Walton as a cautionary tale. ”You seek for knowledge and wisdom as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.”(Page 57) Frankenstein goes on to tell Walton that its better to stick to the basic understanding of life, and he would be happier even if he just went back to the smaller inventions and discoveries that science has to offer. “Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of shining in science and discoveries.”(Page 240) He is attempting to persuade Walton to return home instead of continuing his quest for knowledge to the North Pole. By giving knowledge to Walton as to why he is distraught, and the burdens he carries because of the consequences of his own desire for knowledge, he is able to save Walton from being the creator of his own …show more content…

Having different characters perspectives, gives the reader insight from the point of view of each person. The reader can draw their own conclusions and feelings about each character along with the events that have taken place. Without The Monsters account, the reader would have been lead to believe the monster truly was an evil being, but The Monsters perspective allows the reader to feel empathy towards him instead. Had Frankenstein been the only storyteller like The Mariner, we would have been forced to believe only his words and account of the situation. Shelley draws the reader in like a scientist, looking at the events from all sides, and leaving the reader to make their own conclusion; that we are not born evil, but made evil by society and knowledge is always the basis of

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