Both stories are set on ships sailing through frozen seas and offer a cautionary tale about the peril of disturbing the natural order. Mary Shelley subtitled Frankenstein “The Modern Prometheus,” tying Victor's violation of the laws of nature to the Greek myth described by Aeschylus.
In her 1831 preface to the novel, she attributed her inspiration to a nightmare she had at Geneva, where the company spent their evenings terrifying each other with chilling stories.
How does the myth of Icarus relate to Frankenstein?
Likewise, it is easy to see Frankenstein as a modern Icarus—someone who is overcome by the joy found in his newly obtained powers, reaches beyond his grasp, and faces disaster because of his hubris.
Victor Frankenstein was influenced by authors like Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus, which were all highly recognized during the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Victor was very knowledgeable in science and spent much of his time reading old books by physicians and alchemists.
In 1816, Mary, Percy, John Polidori, and Lord Byron had a competition to see who wrote the best horror story. After thinking for days, Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein after imagining a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made.
In 2002, while researching the influence of science upon the poetry of Percy Shelley, Chris Goulding, a Ph. D. student at Newcastle University, found historical documents that indicated that the model for Victor Frankenstein was Dr. James Lind (1736–1812), Shelley's scientific mentor at Eton in 1809–10.
What similarities do the myth of Prometheus and the story of Frankenstein share?
Like Prometheus' sacred fire, Victor Frankenstein's science gives humans what once had belonged only to the gods: immortality. Like the eagle tearing out Prometheus' liver, Victor's loved ones are torn from him. Victor's monster also resembles the modern Prometheus in that he signifies liberation from a creator.
The God of Genesis was equipped to create and control any situation. Frankenstein was equipped to create, but at the moment of the giving of life he aborted his responsibilities and became subject to his terrible creation.
So enamored of his newfound ability to fly, Icarus ignored warnings not to fly too close to the sun. Upon getting close to the sun, the beeswax melted, his wings fell off, and he plummeted to his death. This tale forms the Icarus Paradox: The same thing that had made Icarus successful is what led to his downfall.
Frankenstein and his monster originated in a dream on a cold, damp night in the summer of 1816 in Geneva, Switzerland. The dreamer was Mary Shelley, a young creative writer on vacation with other writers trying to pass the time by writing horror stories.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as part of a writing challenge between herself, her husband, her step-sister, Lord Byron, and John Polidori. She was also inspired by real experiments that she had seen and her own experiences of motherhood.
Frankenstein, by English author Mary Shelley, tells the story of a monster created by a scientist and explores themes of life, death, and man versus nature.
What is the allusion to the Greek mythology in Frankenstein?
Shelley's full title, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is the first allusion in the book. This allusion is to the Greek myth of Prometheus, a titan who gave humanity to human beings, enabling them to learn and create. Both Victor and Prometheus are creators in their own way.
Final answer: Zeus represents power and control, Prometheus represents rebellion. Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is subtitled 'The Modern Prometheus' because the main character defies the laws of nature, similar to Prometheus defying Zeus.
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is one of the Titans, the supreme trickster, and a god of fire. In common belief, he developed into a master craftsman, and in this connection, he was associated with fire and the creation of mortals. His intellectual side was emphasized by the apparent meaning of his name, Forethinker.
Shelley suggests that Frankenstein has sinned against his own creator (God) by creating a living monster with raw materials and human body parts, and as punishment, Frankenstein loses his paradise, just as Adam in Paradise Lost is expelled from the Garden of Eden for defying God's word.
Much of Frankenstein focuses on the consequences of ''playing God,'' as Victor Frankenstein does when he creates his creature. When his creature comes to life, Victor Frankenstein is terrified and immediately abandons him. The creature then has to learn to fend for himself without the love and care of his creator.
What biblical character does Frankenstein compare himself to?
The monster conceives of himself as a tragic figure, comparing himself to both Adam and Satan. Like Adam, he is shunned by his creator, though he strives to be good.
Frankenstein is similar to the Genesis by means that both god-like figures create a human being. God, out of the overflow of his joy, creates Adam in his image and breathes life into him, and giving him qualities that accentuate his makers idea of perfection (Genesis 1).
How does the rime of the Ancient Mariner relate to Frankenstein?
Like the Ancient Mariner, who is forced to carry the albatross he has killed, Frankenstein is cursed to carry with him the burden of what he has done. He refers to his promise to create a companion for the monster as 'this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck, and bowing me to the ground'.
Shelley recalls in her introduction to the 1831 edition of Frankenstein that her nightmare was inspired by a late-night discussion between Bysshe Shelley and Byron about the then 'fashionable' scientific topic of galvanism.
The most important influence that made Mary Shelley write Frankenstein was Lord Byron's challenge to write a ghost story, which she accepted because she wanted to demonstrate them that she was able to do it even when the rest of them were recognized writers, and what is more, she was a woman.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was inspired by a nightmare that the author had in the early 1800s. Some experts believe the book also alludes to scientific exploration that was actually happening around that time.
