Shelly uses 'the Modern Prometheus' as a subtitle to the novel. Explore the ways in which the idea of the 'Modern Prometheus' is important in the novel as a whole.

Shelly uses ‘the Modern Prometheus’ as a subtitle to the novel. Explore the ways in which the idea of the ‘Modern Prometheus’ is important in the novel as a whole.

Since its first publication in 1818, Mary Shelly’s gothic horror story, Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus; originally begun as a mere ghost story told round the fire to some close friends, has fast become part of our modern day contemporary mythology. The use of the ‘Modern Prometheus’ as the subtitle of this book however, indicates that it has could have also been based on a much more ancient form of mythology. In a way perhaps highlighting that there are really only a few stories in the world and that they just keep being repeated each time being slightly altered to fit the time for each generation. This essay shall explore the Greek myth of the Titan Prometheus and his creation of mankind, the ways in which Prometheus defies the Great God Zeus in an attempt to aid mankind and the subsequent punishment Prometheus receives for such deeds. The essay will then explore in more depth, the parts of Shelly’s masterpiece, Frankenstein or, the Modern Prometheus, that could be compared to the idea of the ‘Modern Prometheus’ and also discuss the ways in which it cannot be compared exactly. Concluding finally in what is perceived as the importance of the subtitle, the ‘Modern Prometheus’ to the novel as a whole.

Lo, a god in the anguish, a god in the chain!

The god, Zeus hateth sore

And gods hate again,

As many tread on his glorified floor,

Because I loved mortals too much evermore.

Prometheus Bound – translated by E.B. Browning

The story of Prometheus from Greek mythology can be found in varying guises depending on the writer, while similar in context they sometimes gave varying accounts of what occurred. The basics of this myth however appear to be that the creator of mankind was the Titan Prometheus. A titan a person of super human strength and ability but not as powerful as the great gods of Olympus. Prometheus was also said to have been a great friend and advisor to the great God Zeus. Zeus gave Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, the task of creating new life on earth and to endow all creatures with the appropriate means to ensure their survival. Man was last in line and when it came to his turn, nothing was left to give. Prometheus took pity on mankind, for he now felt more love for man than of the gods, and he went to Zeus and asked him if he might give mankind the gift of fire. According to Zeus, fire belonged to the gods alone and so he refused Prometheus’s pleas. Prometheus, believing this to be unfair, decided to steal fire from Zeus’s sun, knowing that Zeus would punish him severely. Mankind no longer felt so cold during the night, and the animals were afraid of the fire and no longer attacked man.

Zeus was angry when he found out what Prometheus had done but when he smelt the burnt offerings from man he was appeased. Prometheus knew that men worked extremely hard to make their living and thought it a pity that they burnt up the best parts of their food as offerings to the gods so he told man to divide the meat in two equal heaps. Hidden under the bones in one pile were the tasty chops and roasting meats. In the other were the scraps and entrails, covered with enticing white fat. The greedy Zeus chose the most appealing ...

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As a punishment, Prometheus was bound in chains to the top of the Caucasus Mountains. Every day Prometheus was visited by an eagle that pecked away at his immortal liver. During the night, however, his liver had grown back to its original state and thus began the vicious circle.

In the beginning of Mary Shelly’s story, Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as having a happy childhood. He comes from a very distinguished background and being also the first born son, Victor is always seeking respect and approval from his father. He is inquisitive and wants to feel worthy of his father’s attentions.

“the search for the philosophers’ stone and the elixir of life; the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!” (Shelly 1994:39)

This part of Shelly’s story could be compared to the relationship that Prometheus had in the beginning with Zeus. As Prometheus wanted to please Zeus with his creation of mankind and also make himself invaluable with his advise to the great god. Ultimately Prometheus’ intention was to eventually become accepted as a God himself.

Victor, at the age of thirteen discovers the works of Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus, so a search for scientific knowledge and an eager desire to learn about the physical secrets of heaven and earth began. At fifteen his interest into the laws of electricity and galvanism begins when he sees lightening hitting an oak tree during a violent thunderstorm and a family friend explains his theories on the subject. After Elizabeth’s severe illness with scarlet fever and the subsequent death of his mother due to contracting the illness whilst nursing Elizabeth, Victor wants more than ever to find the elixir of life; especially after hearing Professor M. Waldman of the University of Ingolstadt saying that that the elixir of life was a chimera, a fantasy.

‘treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation’ (Shelly 1994:46)

Here Victor realises that he wants to achieve something much greater than that at which other scientists and philosophers had so far been afraid of and failed to achieve. Thus, in a way, Victor feels that he can become more powerful than man, becoming more like a God, which was Prometheus’ wish also. Early references start to appear in Victor’s comparison of himself to God:

“I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelly 1994:50)

This sentence is a classic example of Victor’s delusion made manifest. Once this knowledge is realised Victor begins to form his own human frame from the parts stolen from dead bodies, believing that with this new found knowledge he will be able to ‘breathe’ life into his creation through the use of electricity. This is not too dissimilar to the part of the Greek myth where Prometheus creates mankind from clay. Also here the passage could be compared to the fire that Prometheus gave to mankind to aid his survival as being the spark of electricity that Victor gave to his creation to give it animation. In this modern day we know Victor could never have achieved the elixir of life in this way, but to his immature mind, for he is still only a mere nineteen years of age, he believes that he can. He is out of his depth to cope with the power of becoming a God but unwilling to give it up knowing the praise that would be poured upon him if successful. His delusions accumulate in chapter four on page fifty-one with this sentence:

“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their belong to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.” (Shelly 1994:51-52)

In a way Victor could be seen to be defying the gods by creating life himself just as Prometheus, in turn, defied the great god Zeus by teaching mankind to also cheat the gods.

It is however, in chapter five where Victor Frankenstein’s story could not be so easily compared to Prometheus, for when Victor beholds his finished creation he is horrified by the results. Instead of helping the creation in its survival like Prometheus tried to do by procuring fire, Victor runs away, refusing for a long time to accept responsibility for his monstrous wretch and eventually when they do meet up again Victor wants to bring about the monsters destruction rather than survival.

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay

To mould me man? Did I solicit thee

From darkness to promote me? –

John Milton, Paradise Lost

Left all alone to fend for himself in an unknown world, Victor Frankenstein’s monstrous creation teaches himself the rudiments of modern language and eventually he even learns to read. On reading such books as John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s Lives and the Sorrows of Werter he not only learns about the history of the world, of life, love and humanity, he also begins to question his origin as well, hitherto being completely at a loss as to his heritage and his creator.

“What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them.” (Shelly 1994:124)

He witnesses the cruelty of mankind when they flee in horror at the very sight of his hideous form. Soon he realises that he will never be accepted into society and so hides away in the mountains blaming his misfortune on Victor and seeking explanations. He becomes bitter and vengeful at the cruel Victor for his creation and as revenge the monster kills Victor’s youngest brother William and planting evidence at the home of Justine, a trusted family friend of the Frankenstein family seals her fate of death by hanging also. When he finally meets up with Victor the monster has become incredibly lonely and yearns for a mate; another creature like himself to love and to love him in return instead of turning away from him in fear as mankind had done. He pleads with Frankenstein to create him a female so that he may have a companion to share his life with; promising that, in return no further harm should befall anyone else in Victor’s family. Victor Frankenstein is horrified of the thought of creating another wretched creature such as this and refuses the monsters pleas.

Enraged at this response Frankenstein’s creation vows to bring the worst kind of pain and misery imaginable to the life of Victor and his family. He murders Victor’s closest and dearest friend Henry Clerval and on the eve of Victor’s wedding day to the beautiful Elizabeth, the monster enters her bedroom and murders her also. The news of this destruction weakens his poor father who to passes away soon after; thus bringing about the death of all those closest to Victor, with the exception of his brother Ernest who curiously slips away from the story after his fathers death never to be mentioned again. As Prometheus stole and gave the knowledge of fire to man and was then severely punished for it; Victor is also punished for his deeds. However, he is punished by his creation whereas Prometheus was punished by the god with whom he had defied. Victor spends weeks alone searching the seas in the hope of finding and finally destroying his creation only to be thwarted by ill health and eventually dying onboard Robert Walton’s ship after telling his tale of misery and woe. There was however, an interesting reference to Victor being a God at this point in the book and it came from Robert Walton this time and not from Victor Frankenstein himself.

“What a glorious creature he must have been in the days of his prosperity, when he is thus noble and godlike in ruin! He seems to feel his own worth and the greatness of his fall.” (Shelly 1994:203)

Looking back at these comparisons it is easy to see how Victor Frankenstein could well have been thought of as a modern Prometheus in Mary Shelly’s book. He defies the gods by creating life himself. Victor Frankenstein, in attempting to become a modern Prometheus, is indeed also punished, but Victor is punished by his own creation rather than his creator. Unlike Prometheus’ gift of fire to mankind to aid survival, Victor’s gift to mankind, the elixir of life, would remain a terrible secret that should have never been revealed at all.

So, how is the subtitle of the ‘Modern Prometheus’ important to the novel? Why did Mary Shelly use the ‘Modern Prometheus’ as a subtitle at all? In conclusion, it appears that by introducing the ancient Greek story of Prometheus into her novel, Mary Shelly seems to be elevating her story to a much higher level than that of just another gothic horror story of the period; by enriching her text with the addition of another more ancient one she has created something far more outreaching. The same could also be said of her inclusion of the references in her story to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and of John Miltons Paradise Lost. She has made her story more intricate than it would have been had she made no reference to Prometheus at all. So, while certain parts of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus, could indeed be compared to the ancient Greek story of Prometheus. She has, more importantly , used the subtitle of the ‘Modern Prometheus’ as a clever tool to give a much more dramatic effect to her novel; extending it out much further than just the pages that it was originally printed on.