The Pursuit Of Knowledge In Frankenstein, Daedalus And Icarus And Prometheus

Dr. Frankenstein was blinded by the fact that he was unable to foresee the effects that a creature could never be fully accepted into the human race. He was ultimately haunted by his own creation. Yet is it his monster’s fault that he doesn’t know right from wrong, or is it Dr. Frankenstein’s fault? Frankenstein is called the creato... ... middle of paper ... ... just a phase, hoping he could get over his work and forget about his creation and all the havoc he had caused. But unfortunately he couldn’t, the monster haunted him and eventually ruined him.

When Victor abandons the monster he runs away and tries to forget about his failed creation. It was extremely dangerous for Victor to flee his experiment because the monster soon becomes aggressive with hate and is curious to know why Victor left him; furthermore, the monster becomes obsessed with self-learning and knowledge. Mary Shelly explains in her novel Frankenstein the cause of Victors abandonment was the rage of the monster that he created. The monster’s reaction to his creator is “Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, yet so vicious and base? (119) The monster’s curiosity was similar to his creator’s strive for knowledge.

After the monster awakes from his death, Victor is "unable to endure the aspect of the being [he] created, [he] rushed out of ... ... middle of paper ... ...l, Victors great need for knowledge and his rage toward the monster led to the death of all he loved, the being he devoted his life to, and himself. Victor is seen as the true tragic hero because his intentions for making the monster were not harmful but his need for revenge and his want for knowledge led to his downfall. The monster could also be seen as a tragic hero in the view that the monster did not wish to turn into such a beast. He once was good but his resentment to society caused him to turn evil, he only wanted to be accepted. Mary Shelley's lesson to her reads is too much ambition can lead to your destruction, and she represents this threw Victor in the way that no scientific discovery is worth sacrificing yours and others lives.

After Victor accomplishes his work of genius, with the creation of the monster, he is suddenly filled with terror and hatred towards the hideous being that stands before him. Even after his goal has been attained, he is not pleased, and flees in horror of the monster. This abandonment of the monster by Victor, the creator, builds hatred inside the monster that will soon lead it to destroy everyone who Victor holds dear to his heart. Victor’s quest for creating new life and playing God demonstrates the dangers of seeking knowledge that should not be acquired. Even though Victor is successful in creating a human heart beat with the use of dead human rem... ... middle of paper ... ... accused mankind of being barbaric.

After being continually rejected by not only his creator, but countless other humans based only on his gruesome appearance, the Monster decides to exact revenge on humankind and especially on Frankenstein for giving life to such a horrible creature as himself. Upon deciding this, the Monster decides to go to his hometown and l... ... middle of paper ... ... her beauty but knew that she would reject him as everyone else did, so he went on to frame her anyways. This shows that it was not lack of reflection that caused the Monster to commit this evil act, but the reflection process only served to help him justify why he should go through with the crimes. As he committed the acts, his heart no longer rebelled as it once did and he was overcome with “exultation and hellish triumph” (Shelley, pg. 378).

The depthlessness of society is represented throughout by selfishness and fear, as well as retaliation. Early in the novel, a scientist named Victor Frankenstein treats his creation worse than anyone. He does not give the monster a fair chance, before he knows anything about the monster he regrets creating artificial life. Victor sees his monster and is astounded by him at first, then, triggered by appearance and early observation, hates his creation and only sees evil. Frankenstein says, “I never saw a more interesting creature: his eyes have generally an expression of wildness… he is generally melancholy and despairing” (Shelley 51).

From this moment , the new creation is idetified as a monster , and just like that will be treated during the whole story , not only by a cruel and intolerant society , but by his creator, Victor , who rejects him from the beginning. Frankenstein , for me , is the sad story of those who are shaped by hostility , who spend their lives running away from hatred and looking for something called happiness. This is the story of a ... ... middle of paper ... ...e purest creature of earth? "(p.210) The monster has fulfilled his threaten : is the answer to an indiferent Victor who could have stopped everythig from the beginnig but that now is paying the highest price : seing those he loves killed by his own creation. Victor is , with his decisions , the guilty one for every murder: he is the one who decided to create human being , but was not able to be responsible for him and he could have stopped the deaths by creating a female mate for his monster , instead , he broke a promise knowing the consequences.

The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad... ... middle of paper ... ...ou, Clerval, my friend, my benefactor—’” (Shelley 129). Victor feels guilty for the actions of his creation but is too much of a coward to confess to anyone about what he has done. His selfishness and secrecy cause his friends to suffer and also make him a tragic hero within the novel. In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows readers how irresponsibility and the excessive need for knowledge can cause suffering among others as well as oneself.

Victor is so furious with the creature that he dedicates the rest of his life to hunt down the evil creature before he can destroy any more of his family. Shelley uses the themes of human relationships and revenge to illustrate the need for everyone to have a companion. The creature is so unwanted by society that he despises Victor for creating him to be so hideous. As a result of the creature’s revenge, he becomes very malicious. All the creature wants is someone to love him so that he does not have to be alone.

From the moment the creature comes to life, Victor had no compassion for his obsession that has now become a reality. Victor shows his hostility by viewing the creature with disgust and describing it as a horrific incident. Victor then does what every child may fear the worse. Victor portrays monstrous action when he abandons ‘it’ since he is “unable to endure the aspect of the being that he had created” (Shelley 42). The creation of the creature derived from Victor’s thirst for alchemy, and the want to truly be a “god-like” figure.