Frankenstein: The Modern PrometheusFrankenstein: The Modern PrometheusFrankenstein: The Modern PrometheusIn 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.
Prometheus was a figure in Greek mythology who created the conflict between mankind and the God’s. Prometheus one day decided to steal fire from the sun and give it to the people for their advantage. Mankind then had the ability to create tools and weapons. Prometheus was then punished by the God’s and was chained to a rock where he was visited by an eagle that ate from his liver. His liver would regenerate daily so that he never died. Prometheus also supposedly created and animated mankind from clay. He is often referred to as the “plasticator since he created man from clay.” These two myths were combined to suggest that Prometheus stole the fire and fashioned mankind from clay.
Frankenstein and Prometheus were similar in many ways. Their goal was set on good intentions but the means resulted in an undesirable conclusion. Frankenstein believed that his new species would bless him as their creator and source. Prometheus
Fate 2also insisted that he wished to save mankind by giving them gifts. The gift of fire he gave mankind was not only good but also evil. It was evil in that mankind now has a power he did not have before and that Prometheus was trying to play God. Frankenstein’s ability to give life to inanimate objects was good, but it also resulted in evil. After Frankenstein gave life to his monster “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart (Shelley 35).” He is attempting to play God and created a species even when he cannot create his own parts. This is similar to Prometheus in that he steals fire from the god’s in order to make mankind superior. He also fashions man out of clay using the fire from the sun. He was punished for this by the God’s.
Another similarity is that of demands that are placed upon Prometheus and Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s creation commands Frankenstein to make him a female friend. In Frankenstein’s bitterness he destroys his work on the female counterpart and claims that he had been “struck senseless by my creations fiendish threats (Shelley 121). The creation then punishes Frankenstein by killing Henry Clerval and Elizabeth. This parallels Prometheus in that he had the knowledge of the woman who will one day bear a son for Zeus that would one day dethrone the god. Prometheus is interrogated by one of the messengers of the god. He is threatened because he refuses to answer. Prometheus does not give away his knowledge. Both Frankenstein and Prometheus had enormous requests given to them. Both held their ground and did not
Somewhere in between there are two versions of the same story. This is the one that tells the story of how Shelley was taken into space and transported to Prometheus’ “mother’s grave” during her first pregnancy. This version is also what we see in the movie, which is that Frankenstein would be transported to Prometheus’ own grave. This version was also used by Gaiman to narrate the climax of the first movie. This is the same version of the story that we saw in the Sides of Darkness. In the movie, Prometheus is forced to choose between three different options in choosing between the two sides, which we can call the “one” and “the other”, as the two sides have a common goal. In this version, Gaiman could play the game with the “the other” (the way that Henry Clerval had her killed and her daughter in a similar manner) or the one and the other (a more general version of the game) and chose what he wanted. The game had a sense of “that is what we are seeking”.
Somewhere in between there are two versions of the same story. In the earlier version, the two sides are presented by what I call the “first dilemma” of the movie that begins when Henry Clerval was killed and what we now know will be revealed in the movie. In the movie, Henry had four children. Henry is also pregnant with Helen and they would both be mothers. Unfortunately, they both had no choice except to choose to live or die and instead chose to sacrifice themselves to create babies. I have noted that the movie gives us a number of characters to watch and some of them are more significant than others and have some strong symbolic value that I think is just as important to viewers. The first dilemma can lead to an even better movie, one where they both are made to choose either of those or there is a big choice that they can make after the birth of the baby. However, the choice and sacrifice of Henry Clerval are not meant to be personal and are done in the light of the movie and not a direct parallel with the previous movie and so the choice of the “first dilemma” is not relevant.
Somewhere in between there are three versions of the same tale. In the first version, Henry tells Henry that he was being kidnapped by women that were willing to give their lives for him. In the second version, Henry refuses to take her child. Neither of these stories does have physical consequences. The two main problems with this version of the story are the emotional impact of the children. In either version of the story, the parents are killed or a man is killed by a woman trying to rescue Henry. In other words, the child dies on a battlefield where no one is injured.
Somewhere in between there are two versions of the same story. In the first version, it is revealed that Henry has been killed because he refused to marry and to give up his child. In the second version, Henry’s blood is spilled by his wife, but the baby dies. In my experience, when Henry asks his wife