Frankenstein and Macbeth
Further points of comparison
1. The main characters –
- they both had a kind of ambition for power – what kinds of power? – they both wanted to “take” or usurp God’s power in some way –
- challenging the Natural Order –
- they both suffer for their ambition – both have a mental breakdown of some sort
- both lose their families
- both are disloyal – Macbeth goes against his own king, and his responsibilities as a thane, and as a host, and a kinsman (relative)
Frankenstein goes against his own creation (child) the monster, he rejects it, and refuses to take on the responsibility of guiding, teaching, etc
- he doesn’t take responsibility for his creation’s murders and he takes no steps to help his own family when they are “under attack” from the monster
- Victor could have accepted the monster and been a good “parent” figure, which would have stopped the monster’s rampage
- Victor could have followed the monster’s demands for a “wife”
- they both suffer from HUBRIS - which means they both had a huge sense of their own importance (pride) and this is why each challenged God – this means that they are both TRAGIC HEROES
- Tragic hero – a protagonist who creates his own torment and downfall by the sins of his/her own hubris – there is a little process at work in a tragedy that must be followed
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- The Pattern of a Tragic Hero
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- 1. Establishment of his power and character flaw
What established Vic’s and Mac’s power?
What was each man’s tragic flaw? Pride -> Ambition for power -> selfishness
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- 2. The reversal of his fortune
What is the reversal of fortune for each?
How does it go from good to bad in their lives.
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- 3. Catharsis
Catharsis means purging or cleansing – there is a moment in each tragic hero’s story where they have a complete realization of what has gone wrong and why
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- 4. Restoration of social order
After the main(s) are dead, or finished, the world is “fixed” and goes back to a normal state –
Much more difficult to see in Frankenstein
2. Another good element to compare would be to compare the depiction of female characters across both stories
- in Mac – females = manipulative, powerful, evil, smart, controlling the males around them – Lady Mac brings out the worst in Mac,
- in Frank – loving and gentle, they suffer from the sins of the male characters, Elizabeth brings out the best in Vic,
The women in both are associated with nature, which is a good point to focus on –
Compare the use of the Natural Order in both – ie women know “their place” – strange – Mary Shelley was an early feminist
3. Depiction of Evil
- How does each book deal with evil characters and events? How is evil shown, defined, used or presented in the books?
Compare these differences and consider which is more valid or realistic or modern, or something else?
Define evil – think about what it is, what it means, how it comes out and how it affects the world and characters of the story
Think about the key differences in each
Frank – Victor – refusing to take responsibility for one’s actions, he wants over Life and Death, blasphemy, not speaking out (think The Holocaust), in each case you need to examine what it is that is evil, show how it is, explain the effects, and maybe give your interpretation of it in modern thinking
Mac – regicide (the killing of a king or queen), infanticide, orders the deaths of his best friend and son, consorts with demons and spirits of evil, appears to use incantations, commits treason against his country, lies, cheats, plots,
4. What is a monster? (higher difficulty rating)
Comparing the actual monster in Frank with the men in Mac and Frank who commit monstrous acts – what is it that truly makes a monster?
This is a little more interpretive and has some room to play around.
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