Similarities Between Frankenstein And The Genevan Prometheus

Brody Buchner Mr. Murtaugh The Genevan Prometheus 4/26/2024 The Genevan Prometheus Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity. This brief description of the Greek myth of Prometheus can be well applied to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Like the titan Prometheus, Victor Frankenstein meddles in God’s work, bringing new life into the world, bringing the creature to life bound Victor to it, chaining him to the journey of undoing his work. In the process, Victor serves his punishment, losing the lives of his loved ones, and eventually himself, depicting the parallels between him and Prometheus. The portrayal of Victor Frankenstein intricately mirrors the Greek myth of Prometheus, highlighting his unwavering ambition and the

Victor is a driven character, determined to achieve something nobody else has done before: bring something non-living to life. Although it is a far-fetched idea, Victor doesn’t let anything come between him and his goal, even the notion that this is God’s ability and God’s ability only. Like Prometheus, who gave fire to humans against the word of Zeus, Victor uses it as a challenge, wanting to be the person to defy the limits of mortality. He becomes obsessed with this idea, admitting “I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardour.I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit” (Shelley 55). Even Victor recognizes this “unremitting ardour”, meaning his intense passion and enthusiasm for bringing the creature to life. He knows that it has overtaken him as the most important thing in his life, and his ambitious intent will guide him towards his goal. His ambition is not his key flaw, however, it is his egocentrism. Victor is so full of himself, valuing himself over anyone else, even his loved ones, and it