Similarities Between Macbeth And Frankenstein

Social Issues Within Literature
Literature has a history of productively connecting humanity from all social classes to focus on a common issue using their literature. This is especially relevant in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with its notable use of Lady Macbeth to alter societal expectations of women. Additionally, Shelley’s Frankenstein perpetuates a criticism against rapid industrialism and a lack of regard for the environment. Both Shakespeare and Shelley write their stories uniquely to respond to their evolving cultural climate.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth promotes women’s rights as it emphasizes the multifaceted characteristics women can have. In example, after Macbeth questions his reckless ambition to become a political leader, Lady Macbeth

In Frankenstein, Shelley describes how Victor’s head fills with “chord after chord was sounded, and soon my mind was filled with one thought, one conception, one purpose” (48). Shelley’s metaphorical imagery of guitar chords strumming in Victor’s brain describes how his encounter with a professor and his subsequent acceptance of alchemy’s falsehood inspires him to become a natural philosopher. Emphasizing Victor’s new found ambition, Shelley illustrates Victor’s motives to create the monster. As Victor develops purpose and emotional investment into science, this increases Victor’s lack of regard for moral barriers to an immoral project such as creating a monster. Shelley emphasizes this purpose to reveal to the audience why dismissing morality when becoming involved in scientific projects can have disastrous outcomes. These disastrous outcomes are exemplified when Victor questions if he had the right to “inflict this curse upon everlasting generations” and how Victor’s creation “struck (Victor) senseless by fiendish threats (180). Victor shows regret for creating a monster, seeing as a lack of foresight enabled Victor to create a monster that would be such catastrophic consequences. Shelley’s comparisons between Victor’s creation and a murder weapon emphasizes her warning to her audience to consider the moral implications of scientific projects. Authors including Kim Hammond glorify Shelley’s use of “the vital role of social relations in determining the nature, direction, products and consequences of science and technology” (181). Hammond denotes how Shelley cautions society into holding scientists accountable for using their morals when developing new science or technology. This supports Shelley’s use of Victor’s story as a cautionary tale as Shelley reminds scientists to consider their morals when inventing new