More handpicked essays just for you.
Victor frankensteins character
I.Frankenstein essay on the main characters
Essay on victor frankenstein's character
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Dangerous Knowledge
The pursuit of forbidden knowledge is the impetus and downfall of man's quest to understand the unknown. In the Bible, God warns man that knowledge brings more regret than it does value: "He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Ecclesiastes 1:18.). Throughout the history of mankind, man has been faced with the temptation to reach the level of God. The Tower of Babel is the first attempt by man to become as powerful as God when man tries to build a tower that reaches the heavens. " 'Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth' " (Genesis 11:4). In the end, God punishes man for attempting to know what God should only understand. "So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city" (Genesis 11:8). The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The main characters, Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll, attempt to reach beyond accepted human limits and access the secrets of life. As a result, the ruthless pursuit of knowledge proves dangerous as both men eventually destroy themselves and everyone dear to them. The thirst for knowledge is a hidden evil that man can only see after it has destroyed his life.
Frankenstein is a young scientist who is blinded by the fame and dangers of the knowledge of creation. "So much has been done," exclaims Frankenstein after he hears a lecture on famous scientists. "More, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unk...
... middle of paper ...
...one, but scientist Lewis Thomas says, "We cannot wish away the "Frankenstein Impulse"-we must instead try to channel it in a democratic and ethical direction" (Article Finder). The thirst for knowledge is a hidden evil that man can only see after it has destroyed his life. Had Frankenstein and Jekyll followed the advice of Thomas then maybe their findings would have turned out to be good rather than evil. Perhaps God grants the pursuit of knowledge to those he knows will abuse it in order to make an example of their irresponsible pursuit of knowledge and to prove that some knowledge is off limits to man.
Works Cited
Goodall, Jane. "Frankenstein and the Reprobate's Conscience." Studies in the Novel 31.1 (1999): 19.
Madigan, Timothy J. "Defending Dr. Frankenstein." Free Inquiry 14.4 (1994): 48.
Ribalow, M.Z. "Script Doctors." The Sciences 38.6 (1998): 26.
Frankenstein has been interested in natural science since childhood and has described himself to “always have been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature”(Shelley 25), which foreshadows his future aspiration to create life, and
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. As she is Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. She is Macbeth’s other half. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth is enough to create the perfect villain because of her ability to manipulate everyone around her. It appears that even she can’t resist the perfect crime.
There are limits about how far one should pursue knowledge. Although some may have more serious consequences than others, it is always ill-advised to cross those boundaries in the first place. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein seeks to create a species superior to humans. But, when he finishes he realizes how terrifying his creation is and flees (Shelly 49). His mistake leads to the deaths of himself as well as his entire family. Upon deciding to create his monster Frankenstein has no thought about the consequences of his actions. He rushes into
Mary Shelley brings about both the positive and negative aspects of knowledge through her characters in Frankenstein. The use of knowledge usually has many benefits, but here Shelley illustrates how seeking knowledge beyond its limits takes away from the natural pleasures of known knowledge. She suggests that knowledge without mortality and uncontrolled passions will lead to destruction. Victor and his monster experience this destruction following their desires and losing self control. Walton, on the other hand, becomes of aware of the consequences and is able to turn back before it’s too late. Shelley also suggests that without enjoying the natural pleasures of life, pursuing knowledge is limited, but how can knowledge be limited if it is infinite?
In Frankenstein, Shelley chronicles radical scientist Victor Frankenstein’s journey from the birth of his creation to his protracted destruction. Upon further analysis, this “horror story” forebodes the dangers of attaining unknowable knowledge. After listening to Victor’s message, Walton abandons his goal to explore the uncharted and returns to England with unaccomplished dreams. With a surplus of information, at what point do the facts replace the human connection? At what point must science consider the ethical consequences of future innovations. Who is to blame for accidental ramifications: the scientist or the science? In an era of genetic engineering and bionics, the story’s message could not be more relevant.
devotion show that Frankenstein is not as good of a scientist as he thinks himself
Storment, Suzanna. "Frankenstein: The Man and the Monster." Commentary page. October 2002. Washington State University. 8 April 2003. http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/frank.comment3.html.
Once on board, Frankenstein recounts his history. Frankenstein, too, was possessed by a youthful fixation: the desire to acquire scientific knowledge, and to create an indestructible...
Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein, is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise. Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous.
Tyre, Peg. "Are IPads and Other Classroom Gadgets Really Helping Kids Learn?"TakePart. N.p., 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
As the concept of traditional female is significant in Elizabethan society, Lady Macbeth is rather contradictory as she is ambitious and takes control to persuade Macbeth. To begin, when Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter with the witches appearance and the prophesies, she realizes that her husband is weak-willed and plans to persuade him to remove any obstacles. Worth mentioning is that not only she takes control of the situation but she spurs Macbeth into murdering Duncan by saying “…When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49). She acts out of her role as she insults his manliness and declares that she would have “dash’d the brains out” (1.7.58) her child while it was feeding at her breast. This reveals her unwomanly characteristics as Lady Macbeth do not care for her children. At the same time, Lady Macbeth overrides the source of evil as she believes in witchcraft and calls for evil spirits for help. She state...
The untraditional marriage between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Lady Macbeth shows how a woman takes charge of her marriage, showing she is the woman of the house. She is manly and all powerful over her husband. Lady Macbeth proves to be the untraditional woman of Scotland, she differs from the role of a traditional woman because she is not feminine as a woman should be, in fact she wishes she was a man. She tells the spirits to, “ unsex me here”. ( Enotes… unsex me here). This pertains to the theme of gender roles because it demonstrates how Lady Macbeth wishes it was a man. She’s manlier than her husband, that show the untraditional woman. Lady Macbeth feels her husband is to nice, friendly, and full of milk “ worrying her is to full of the milk of human kindness to take Duncan’s throne” ( Gale. Par 3). She worries that Macbeth has cold feet. He’s afraid of the consequence that will follow the murder; She planed the murder herself, because she didn’t believe he could do with out her help. She worries he is to manly to snatch the crown. So Lady Macbeth is manly enough to plan the murder, but wants Macbeth to commit the murder. ...
Victor Frankenstein finds himself exploring the world of science against his fathers wishes but he has an impulse to go forward in his education through university. During this time any form of science was little in knowledge especially the chemistry which was Victors area if study. Victor pursues to go farther than the normal human limits of society. “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (Chapter 4). He soon finds the answer he was looking for, the answer of life. He becomes obsessed with creating a human being. With his knowledge he believes it should be a perfe...
Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and daunting female characters. As Macbeth’s wife, her role is very important in Macbeth’s rise and fall from royalty. In Shakespearean times, females were considered as feeble and unimportant beings whose only use was to give birth, and for their looks. They were not by any means equal to men, nor intelligent. Though in this play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the biggest impact in her husband’s life. In her role, she uses her status in Dunsinane to gain power, stay sane enough to support Macbeth, and fails while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth makes her the perfect villain for the play, mostly because of her capability to manipulate anyone that is around her.