By: Gabi, Emily, Ben, and Lauren

Prometheus: Characters
-

though the monster acts of his own accord as a

result of his sentience, his existence is the sole
responsibility of Victor
monster is driven to revenge and hatred as a

result of Victors negligence (119)

had Victor given him the proper care and

nurturing received by most children, the

monster may not have become a monster at
all; the monster is confused by the nighttime; a
miserable wretch (87), he [knows] nothing,
and [sits] down to cry (87)-state of confusion
very believable of a child given no care
Prometheus gives fire to mankind-symbolic life
(fire) given in order to help them prosper; he
teaches man how to use fire for their own good
Victor is selfish and seeks to fulfill beauty of

[his] dream (47) and fails to imbue the

monster with the proper upbringing to allow it
to thrive free of hatred and oppression-he is
released into the world as an object for the
horror of mankind despite his higher mind,
e.g. perceptions and passions (119)
Victor muses that the acquirement of

knowledge is dangerous(43); his

punishment, brought about by his own hand,
has forced him to become subservient to a
higher power which created and ruled the
elements (78)
he fails to understand that the volatile
monster could be used to fashion
greatness out of the crude-he is the
superior being, not afflicted by cold, eight
feet in height or human eating habitsgiven the correct instruction, he could have
created a superior race of life (44)
similarly, fire is destructive, but can be
controlled (e.g. manipulate metal, cook,
make items)-the monster could have used
his superior intelligence (reads Paradise
Lost at only a few years old) to advance
humanity
Victor looks at this situation from Zeus
perspective-he fears that he may be
usurped, indeed, that all of his kind may be
usurped, by a race of devils (141)-his fear
of a loss of power blinds him to the
potential of the monster, and he destroys
the female to remain in power
Prometheus has become associated with
science-the meaning of which is literally
knowledge; this is where Prometheus
and Victor differ-the Titan had the foresight
to teach humanity to control the volatile
Victor lacks forethought-this is the meaning
of the name Prometheus, and explains
why the Titan was successful-he may have
anticipated punishment, but understood
that humanity could be elevated beyond
their station through the proper use of the
gift of creation (fire)
In the Promethean myth, Hephaestus is instructed
to create Pandora in order to maintain distinction
between the gods and humanity-she is given a jar
containing the negative aspects of human life (e.g.
war, famine, death)
curiosity leads Pandora to open the jar,

unaware of its contents; the female monster is

analogous to Pandora; she is likely to become
a thinking and reasoning animal (141) who
would not readily comply to pacts made before
her birth; her release would put mankind in
danger
destruction of the female monster not

only preserves humanitys spot as the

apex of the evolutionary chain, but
redeems Frankenstein (regardless of
whether his motivations are considered
selfish)
Pandora is punishment for mankinds

reception of fire
the female monster is essentially a
second chance for Frankenstein-if
he releases her, he gives his
creation the potential to reproduce
itself and usurp humanity
not releasing the female creature is
the only way he can prevent the
destruction of his species, and is
equivalent to Prometheus giving
fire without the ability to be
rekindled; the ability to rekindle and
utilize fire is what elevates mankind

Mythology within Frankenstein

Prometheus: God-Complex &
Conflict With a Higher Power
Both Frankenstein and Prometheus cross
line after line with no hint of remorse or
accountability
Each displays egomaniacal qualities
stemming from their narcissistic beliefs
in their abilities and roles
Arrogance oversteps their boundaries
and clashes with a higher power
Frankenstein: the higher power is the laws
of morality and mortality; his life costs that
of many others
Prometheus: the higher power is actual
God, and the challenging the forces of
Zeus himself
Upon discovering the scientific secret to reanimating life, Frankenstein's underlying Godcomplex is unearthed
Though his human nature [turned] with
loathing from his project, Frankenstein was
urged on by an eagerness which
perpetually increased (42). This shows any
recognition of immorality has been quickly
disregarded in favour of the excitement and
power that comes with this god-like ability.
Instead of bringing a single being back to
life, Victor desecrates multiple graves to
achieve his goal, believing the churchyard
he defiles to be merely the receptacle of
bodies (42). This utter disregard for the
sanctity of human life reveals his extreme
egocentricity
Prometheus directly defies Zeus by likening
man to the Gods with their stature, and
stealing fire for his much loved creation. This
is a direct arrogance that is deeply
narcissistic towards the God/Titan hierarchy
Frankenstein recognizes his imminent power
even before fully constructing his new
species, demonstrating his disillusioned and
inflated sense of self, comparable only to God
He believes that the product of his project
will bless [him] as its creator and source,
and would owe their being to [him] (44).
Language like this is blatantly egomaniacal,
and demonstrates his unabashed
awarenessof his amaurotic power, as well
as his indulgence in that fact
Realizing his newfound power, Prometheus
dares to trick Zeus by cheating him of the
animal sacrifices in favor of serving himself
and his own creation, and not that of Zeus
and his ilk
A clash of Frankenstein's presumptuous and
cavalier aura occurs with his superiors
Though studying under highly intelligent
scholars, Frankenstein replies carelessly,
and partly in contempt, to their interests in
his work (37).
Frankenstein believes his status to be much
higher than those at the university, as he
cannot bring himself to hear the musings of
conceited fellow that is his professor, and
only attended lectures out of idleness (38).
Prometheus also treats his Zeus and the
Gods with blatant contempt, refusing to tell
Zeus of his prophecy and rebelling against
the Gods for their actions towards the Titans
Frankenstein does not accept his own fault in
his actions; sliding blame over to others or out
of his control is a constant
Believes that the occult texts and his fathers
failure to warn against them explains the
nature of his fault, and had it been explained
he would have surely thrown Agrippa
aside, tracing the avoidance of all blame
back to a single remark and the incapability
of his guardian (31)
Frankenstein is even narcissistic enough to
blame the fatal impulse that led to his ruin
and not his own conscious decisions (31).
The monster was always the abomination,
never Frankenstein, as the perpetrator of
evil that befalls the characters. Frankenstein
reflects on [the monsters] crimes and
malice with his hatred and revenge barely
containable (76).
For Prometheus, blame is only recognized
with his eventual punishment. Tricking and
defying Zeus several times has no effect of
guilt or condemnation, and is only realized in
his suffering

Prometheus: Punishment
-

punishment is a subsequent
consequence of creation
- power of mankind threaten the
gods
- Frankenstein loses loved ones
after the creation of his monster
and the destruction of Eve
- the creature is forced to
destroy all that [is] dear to
[him] (63)
- fate condemns both characters for
believing themselves to be superior
beings
- Frankenstein lusts to be
bless[ed] as a creator and
source and bestows animation
upon lifeless matter (44)
- Prometheus creates mankind
out of clay and steals fire from
the gods; provides power and
creation
- both characters are banished as a
result of their actions
- Victor removes himself from the
rest of society, after the birth of
his creation, to seek some
relief from [his] intolerable
sensations. (78)
- Prometheus is expelled from
Mt. Olympus to Caucasus to
face eternal punishment and
guilt
-the creature never inflicts physical
harm on Frankenstein, rather, his soul
is torn by remorse horror and
despair (73)
- parallel to Prometheuss
regeneration; he continuously
suffers but remains alive
- their survival is ironic as both
characters downfall are due
to their immortality complex
- the fate of Frankenstein causes a
weight of despair : the death of
each of his loved ones (75)
- Prometheus endures unending
torture, as well: his liver is torn
out everyday and then
regenerated
- Frankensteins infinite pain,
results from his desire to create
(47)
- similar to Prometheuss
punishment but is emotional
rather than physical
- destruction comes about as a direct
response to creation
- Frankenstein destroys Eve to
punish the creature, who, in
turn, murders Elizabeth
- mankind is punished by the
Gods through Pandora, who
unleashes destruction and
hardship into the world
- without creating, the destruction
and punishment fate/Zeus delivers
would have no reason to exist
- creating is the cause that allows
the effect of punishment to take
place

Golem
- one subtle mythological figure was
Golem, from Jewish legends

- the Hebrew word golem translates

loosely to incomplete or
unfinished

- the most famous and popularized

version begins with the high Rabbi
Lowe bringing to life a man-like
creature made of clay

- the word anmauth is written on its

forehead, meaning truth

- the Golem was strong and fearless,

defending the Jewish quarter in 19th
century Prague from attacks

- needed to remove its life in time for

every Sabbath (Saturday)

- One Friday evening, Rabbi Lowe

forgot to remove Golems life

- this resulted in Golem breaking free

and unleashing its great strength
and anger in an unsupervised
rampage

Rabbi Lowe eventually managed to

find it and remove its life before
significant damage could be done.
However, the Rabbi made the
decision to deactivate Golem to
prevent further problems.

- There are two main versions

involving the end of the legend.

- in the first, the first two letters of

anmauth are erased, changing it
to mauth, (meaning death), thus
killing Golem

- in the second version, Rabbi

Lowe preforms a ritual involving
the recital of magic formulas

- Golems dead body is wrapped

in prayer shawls and placed in
the Synagogue attic, where
people are forbidden to enter.
His body remains dormant,
awaiting re-activation.

- the legend of Golem, from a

moral perspective, warns people
of the dangers and
responsibilities in the creation of
life

By: Gabi, Emily, Ben, and Lauren

Mythology within Frankenstein

Bibliography

Cartwright, Mark. "Prometheus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 09 June 2016. <http://
www.ancient.eu/Prometheus/>.
Dudczak, Rebecca. "A Cultural History of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus." A Cultural History of Frankenstein: The
Modern Prometheus. Mount Holyoke College, n.d. Web. 09 June 2016. <https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/
hist257s02/students/Becky/prometheus.html>.
"Prometheus." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., 5 June 2015. Web. 09 June 2016. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/
entry/Prometheus>.
Jacobs, Louis. "Golem." My Jewish Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2016. <http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/
>.
Website
"Prometheus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
http://jbkr.com/myshowcase/2-REDONE/PANDORA+300.jpg