Mary Shelley uses Victor Frankenstein’s creation of the monster to display a connection to Prometheus’ creation of human life. While there are similarities between the two, Shelley effectively shows the fact that Prometheus displays qualities of a good creator, while Frankenstein exhibits characteristics to the contrary.
According to the images of the gods, Prometheus, a Grecian mythological Titan, created the first human beings from clay and water. When the other gods became aware of the existence of humans, they agreed to protect them under the condition that they worship the gods and obey their every word. Prometheus went to the gods in order to ask for the conditions to be slackened; however he tricked Zeus, head of the gods, along with all the other gods into eating bare bones instead of real meat. This caused Zeus to punish humanity by making them suffer sicknesses and forced them to live without fire. Prometheus, however, wanted to take care of his creations, teaching them to see, showing them how to hear, and stealing a piece of sun from Zeus, which he gave to humans allowing them fire. As punishment for this, Prometheus was tied to a rock for eternity having his liver eaten out everyday by an eagle, only to grow back each night.
Victor Frankenstein, similarly to Prometheus took the act of creating life into his own hands. He created life under the inclination that “a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source”. (pg 58) Once Frankenstein gives life to his monster, however, he is horrified by what he has created and chooses to isolate himself from the creature. Because of Victor’s rejection, he inspires feelings of loneliness in his creation. In turn, this brings more disappointment to the creator, and causes the monster to acquire an increasing resentment towards Victor for his neglect and refusal to provide the monster with a mate.
As creators, a few connections can be drawn between Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus. Both characters rebelled against natural creation by giving life with their own hands. Prometheus used his hands to mold the first human beings out of clay and water, while Frankenstein “found so astonishing a power placed within [his] hands” and began “successfully collecting and arranging [the] materials” he would need to created his creature. (pg 58) In having the ability to give life, and acting upon this ability, both Prometheus and Frankenstein gave a piece of themselves to their creations. Prometheus gave a piece of himself to human beings in creating them in the image of the gods, and Frankenstein unintentionally and unknowingly transfer his disposition to the monster. Frankenstein becomes horrified by seeing the monster he has created. Due to his horror he further isolates himself from people, leaving him feeling alone and hopeless. Similarly, because he rejects the monster, the monster also becomes “wretched, helpless, and alone.” (pg 116)
In conjunction with this, Frankenstein and Prometheus are punished for their lack of respect for natural human order. Due to Frankenstein’s reaction of horror at the sight of his monster, and resulting isolation from society, he ends up alone, forced to watch those close to him die. In creating the monster to avoid his loneliness he actually worsens it, even losing the love of his life at the hands of his own creation. In a similar fashion, Prometheus is punished by Zeus to suffer an eternity of having his liver eaten out by day and grown back by night.
Despite their punishments, Prometheus exhibited excellent qualities of being a good creator, while Frankenstein’s actions proved that he was a bad creator. In the face of adversity, Prometheus fought to protect the human beings he had give life too. He went to Zeus in order to request a lessening of demands on the humans by the gods. He taught his humans how to hear, to see, to speak, provided them with companions, and gave up his eternal life in order to deliver them fire. In standing by and teaching his creations, Prometheus was depicted as a good creator. Contrary to Prometheus, Frankenstein fathered his monster with his own two hands; he labored for years in order to successfully breathe life into the creature, and then abandoned him. He did not teach the monster, nor did he provide him with love. He also refused to give the monster a mate. In his rejection of the monster, his own creation, Frankenstein has committed a poor act of creation.
Mary Shelley’s use of intertextuality, as seen in her reference to Prometheus, displays her desire to provide depth and insight into the minds and existence of her characters. In examining Victor’s monster and Prometheus in conjunction with each other, their similarities and differences as creators of life become quite apparent.
