Modern Prometheus Essay

1550 Words7 Pages
Prometheus' creation of the human race during the creation of the universe was for the sake of humanity, Victor's creation of the creature was for his sole knowledge to only better his curiosity. Some may say Victor Frankenstein does not portray a modern Prometheus. Although he may not be a god, he is to the creature. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is the modern Prometheus. Victor seeks for enlightenment and power, in which, Prometheus does as well.Victor does something forbidden; creating human life. Prometheus also does something forbidden; giving fire to humans. Victor, in return, serves a torturous death, as does Prometheus, although Prometheus cannot die. For these reasons this novel, Frankenstein, shows how Victor is the modern Prometheus. Undoubtedly both Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus seek for enlightenment and power. In the beginning of this novel Victor starts his childhood yearning for knowledge and reading books of science. The quote, “...eager desire to learn,..., secrets of heaven and earth that i desired to learn,..., my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical,…, the physical secrets of the world” (Shelley, 23). It shows how ambitious Victor was to learn as a child and how the start of his seeking for enlightenment and power came to be. Victor also foreshadows how misfortune had tainted his mind, “...misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections…”(Shelley, 24). This quote shows how at first he had psychedelic visions of helping and being convenient until a misfortune had tainted his mind to change these to dark images. This misfortune was the want for power. Prometheus seeks for enlightenment and power in a different way. Prometheus gets power from stealing fire from Zeus but in return he is punished. The quote, “...he snuck quietly into
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