Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

 A Novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (August 30, 1797 - February 1, 1851)

About the Prometheus Myth

In Greek mythology, Prometheus, or Prometheas ("forethought") is the Titan chiefly honored for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mortals for their use.

To get revenge on Prometheus for this further offense, Zeus had Hephaestus (Vulcan) make a woman made of clay named Pandora. Zeus brought her to life and sent her to Prometheus, along with a box of all the valuable presents she had received from the gods. Prometheus was suspicious and would have nothing to do with Pandora, claiming that she was foolish (lacking foresight), but he made Epimetheus marry her.

Zeus was further enraged by Prometheus's escape and had Prometheus carried to mount Caucasus, where a vulture or an eagle named Ethon would eat out his liver; it would grow back each day and the vulture would eat it again. This punishment was to last 30,000 years. About 30 years into the punishment, he was freed by Heracles and returned to Olympus. As the introducer of fire and inventor of sacrifice he is seen as the patron of human civilization. Uncertain sources claim he was worshipped in ancient Rome.
 

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

Frankenstein is in some ways allegorical, and was conceived and written during an early phase of the Industrial Revolution, at a time of dramatic change. Behind Frankenstein's experiments is the search for ultimate power or godhood: what greater power could there be than the act of creation of life? Frankenstein and his utter disregard for the human and animal remains gathered in his pursuit of power can be taken as symbolic of the rampant forces of laissez-faire capitalism extant at the time and their basic disregard for human dignity. Moreover, the creation rebels against its creator: a clear message that irresponsible uses of technologies can have unconsidered consequences.

Film Adaptations


The first film of Frankenstein was made in 1910. The "classic" film from 1931 stars Boris Karloff as the monster, and was directed by James Whale. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Its first sequel, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), was also directed by Whale and is considered by many to contain the most spectacular laboratory scene of any of the series. Son Of Frankenstein followed in 1939. Later efforts rapidly degenerated into farce. The films have occasionally been parodied, a notable example being Mel Brooks' comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), which borrows heavily from Whale's two Frankenstein films, including the use of Whale's original laboratory set pieces and the technical contributions of their original creator, Kenneth Strickfaden. A more recent notable adaptation is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), directed by Kenneth Branagh.
 

Common Defining Characteristics of the Mad Scientist
Mad scientists are typically characterized by obsessive behavior and the employment of extremely dangerous methods. They often are motivated by revenge, seeking to settle real or imagined slights, typically related to their unorthodox studies.

Their laboratories often hum with Tesla coils, Van de Graaff generators, Jacob's ladders, perpetual motion machines, and other visually impressive electrical oddments, or are decorated with test tubes and complicated distillation apparatus containing strangely-coloured liquids – often without regard for the actual use of such equipment. The general rule to follow when you encounter mad scientist experiments is "do not attempt this at home!"

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