There are many authors that use a well-known historical figure to contrast the protagonist of their novel. One great author that uses this method of comparing a renowned person to a fictional character is Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly. In her novel Frankenstein, she uses the subtitle “The Modern Prometheus.” Prometheus, the Greek god, and Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the Monster, have contrasting qualities and behaviors that allow them to go against God’s will and attempt to create life.
Prometheus, a Greek god, is the son of Iapetus and Themis. He was a guardian and protector of humanity, and he is greatly known for his superior intelligence. He stole fire from the Greek god Zeus and gave it to the mortals. This mistake caused the heroine Prometheus to suffer greatly. Zeus punished him for his offense and bound Prometheus to a rock, and each day an eagle came and ate out his liver. Prometheus is both credited with and blamed for playing a gigantic role in the early makings of human kind. Prometheus stole the fire from Zeus in order to help the mortals because he had befriended them and took pity upon them. At that time, the humans were in desperate need of help and Prometheus wanted to see them reach their full potential instead of dying off. Prometheus stole the fire and showed the humans how to use it because he was a very compassionate man and wanted to help. Prometheus is seen as a gentle titan whereas Zeus is seen as a dark god. Prometheus was acting on what the future held because he had the gift of foresight. He knew that humans would need help in order to survive, and he was the titan that brought help in the form of fire. Prometheus represented a man “playing God,” as did Victor Frankenstein. Both u...
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...he house and the laboratory and took care of Victor. He had so much desire to obtain godlike powers that the stress it too much for Victor. He withdraws himself from society and grows an unhealthy obsession with revenging himself upon the monster. This eventually leads to his death after he tells his story to Robert Walton.
Mary Shelly was absolutely correct when she compared Frankenstein to “The Modern Prometheus.” Frankenstein and Prometheus were similar in their character and how they wanted to help humanity, though one protagonist took it too far. They both attempted to be godlike by creating life and they suffered consequences for their actions. The mortal humans were in need of saving so two intelligent, gentle, men came forth to help. Did they try to become too godlike or were their attempts of helping the mortals of the world justified?
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
For my final project of the novel unit, I chose the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley and first published in 1818. Frankenstein is a tale about an ambitious young scientist who in his practice oversteps the boundaries of acceptable science and creates a monster which destroys everything Victor Frankenstein loved and held dear.
Whisenant, Mike. "Prometheus and Frankenstein: Tales of Creation and Punishment." Wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. .
Both Percy and Mary Shelley had written a different interpretation of the Prometheus myth; with Percy’s Prometheus Unbound and Mary’s Frankenstein. Both of these works had examples that showed how the characters projected themselves into other beings. It could be interpreted that Mary had the intention to criticize the way a strong feeling of wishing something that is beyond the laws of the natural world to happen is without regard for the consequences that could occur as a result. These outcomes cannot be planned or controlled. Despite the outward appearance or aspect of the emphases on knowledge and creation—traits that are often considered virtues—Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Percy Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound revealed the ways in which humans, in their desire for these virtues, can triumph over the unpredictability of nature. The visually descriptive and figurative language that each author utilized helped to show the advantage of the power of narrative as a means of expressing the characters’ egos which drove them to overreach for the dominance over nature and relate to real people.
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”-John Green, an American author of young adult fiction, such as The Fault in Our Stars, and the YouTube blogger of crash course history. The mythological character Prometheus and Victor from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, try to influence mankind in a positive way, but instead the result is detrimental to society. Victor and Prometheus both want to help mankind, regardless, both overstep their bounds, and are severely punished. Although their true characters are revealed through how they handle their suffering.
Gaining inspiration from Ancient Greek Mythology, Mary Shelley published a classic gothic science fiction novel, known informally as Frankenstein. In Ancient Greek folklore, Prometheus is said to be the wisest of all the Gods. In the form of fire, he has been praised for bringing forth knowledge and enlightenment to mankind. The history of Prometheus’ fate is depicted throughout the text. Victor Frankenstein, whom upon years of study and fascination of natural philosophy and chemistry, discovers the secret of life, just as Prometheus once discovered the secret of fire (in many cultures, fire is a portrayal of energy and life), which makes a direct link to the relations of Prometheus and Victor. Armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking, Victor secludes himself in an apartment and begins to fashion a creature out of old body parts....
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus is a well known novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and first published in 1818. This first edition included some remarks made by her husband Percy Shelley, which the author later revised for the publishing of the second edition in 1831 . A thought-provoking work set in the enlightened European society of the eighteenth century, Frankenstein masterly addresses themes such as responsibility, abandonment, and the ambitious pursuit of knowledge to depict the dreadful effects that may arise from scientific exploration.
In Prometheus Bound, all the characters are keenly aware of the power of Zeus: his name is invoked as the one who decided on the punishment for Prometheus and his wrath is sensed by the others. For example, Prometheus describes Zeus as “hard-hearted” and “in constant anger with an unbending mind”. Under Zeus’s rule, Prometheus stole fire and then gave this element to humans, thereby upsetting the existing paradigm Zeus ruled. Zeus is a “tyrant” who trusts not his “family or friends”. Prometheus insightfully recognizes that Zeus’s leadership is tyrannical. While Ocean agrees with Prometheus’s assessment of Zeus as he says “our king’s a harsh one, and his rule unchecked” but at the same time there are other characters who do not hold this same opinion. Hephaestus for one, is unable to support Prometheus’s lamentation about Zeus’s excessive power and so does Hermes, son of Zeus, owing to his family loyalty. Hermes supports Zeus’s actions and affirms the Prometheus “wronged the gods in furnishing honors to mortals” which implies that to hold the element of fire is a right born solely by Zeus, Hephaestus and other worthy gods.
In Marry Shelly’s book Frankenstein, she tells the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein. The character of Frankenstein contains traits that parallel Prometheus from Greek mythology. Through his actions and emotions Victor Frankenstein becomes the modern Prometheus by producing ill-fated actions that carry tragic consequences just as Prometheus’ did.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
For moviegoers Frankenstein’s Monster is a green, shambling corpse, with its stitched together construction held together by two bolts on its neck, as it moans and groans inhumanly. A deeper look into the actual book by Mary Shelly, Frankenstein Or, The Modern Prometheus, however, shows a far more terrifying visage: something that’s almost, but not quite, human. A being that, while “about eight feet in height”, still had a soul that “glowed with love and humanity” at birth, which causes it’s transformation into a serial killer to be far more chilling (Shelly 100). The source of the Monster, and how it differs from other characters, is what obviously creates this irreconcilable gap from the human characters. Contextually, during the writing of Frankenstein, industrialization swept through Mary Shelly’s Great Britain. The change in society caused by industrialization can be seen in the work as a whole. Thus it is clear Frankenstein argues that the loss of originality in an industrialized society leads to dehumanization and alienation, as exemplified in the manufactured Monster.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, Walter James Miller, and Harold Bloom. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: New American Library, 2000. Print.
What would you do if you discovered a secret that changed everything? “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” (Shelley 37). Ab initio Victor Frankenstein, the main protagonist, is being put on a level with Prometheus through the subtitle. An indication that Mary Shelley did indeed have the myth in mind as she wrote the novel, is not only her subtitle, but moreover the parallels between the Prometheus myth and Frankenstein, which are undeniable. The title itself gives a lot away of the story which follows. It links the modern world with the ancient Greek myth. Victor Frankenstein “steals” the secret of life, just like Prometheus stole the secret of fire. As a consequence both are being punished for defying the Gods/God. They both have good intentions as benefactors to mankind but are punished for it. The focus of this Term Paper will be on the main figure of Frankenstein as the creator, a romantic figure and especially as a “modern Prometheus”, so to say on the subtitle, with reference on the writer as creator.
Muriel Spark proclaims one of the most prominent pieces of evidence to show the relationship between Victor and the monster includes the alternate title of the novel, The Modern Prometheus. In the initial chapters, Victor was himself the protagonist, Prometheus, the beloved contributor of fire. Nevertheless, as the monster was created, he had assumed the role of Prometheus. The godforsaken monster recites, “But am I not alone, miserably alone?” (Shelley). The revolt of the monster against his creator is another feature to depict the similarity between the monster and Prometheus; a Titan, who sought revenge against the Gods. The title may imply that the monster is an alternative Frankenstein. Critics have often provided specific examples from the text to support their claims of the relation between Victor and the monster. Primary characteristics shared amongst both figures can include a strong lust for knowledge, arrogance, and ignorance to those around them, an inner darkness that dictates their principles, and a conscience...