Paradise Lost And Frankenstein

The main primary deterrent for religion, specifically Christianity, is the questioning of the existence of God. There does not exist a method to prove the presence of an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent being. Furthermore, pagans and Christians alike demand an explanation to the nature of the relationship man has with God. Such theological crises can cause believers who live according to Christ to falter in their faith; for a strong Christian like John Milton, the English poet known for his poem Paradise Lost, the widespread doubt of God was troubling because Christians are to worship with one another. Without believers, there is no church. Thus Milton took it upon himself to “justify the ways of God to men” (Milton) by crafting a heroic epic detailing the fall of Satan and man. Mary Shelley alludes to Milton’s Paradise Lost by quoting Adam in the

Milton wishes “to give more than metaphoric birth” (Moek); he wants the pride and happiness that comes with birth. Paradise Lost is Milton’s pride. Milton’s pride in his work is shown in the grandeur cover page and the very writing itself. The motifs of fertility allow the audience to emotionally relate to the joy associated with birth. However, in Milton and Frankenstein’s cases, they act from a flawed perspective. Their creations are not from a God-like but rather due to the selfishness of man. Frankenstein is the extreme case, viewing his creation as an abortion, a failure, a stain to his reputation - shame. The grotesque reference disgusts the audience, using pathos to communicate the regret felt by Frankenstein for giving life to the creature. Furthermore, the creature itself sees himself as an abortion; he is supposed to be the pride and joy of his creator but is instead “the fallen angel” (69). Thus the reason Frankenstein created the creature appears to be not for scientific prowess but rather sinful