Mary Shelley’s Reworking of the Two Stories of the Prometheus Myth in Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

Abstract

This article aims to show how Mary Shelley reworks the Greek and Roman myth of Prometheus through her portrayals of three protagonists in Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, namely Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s creature.In investigating her reworking of the ancient myths, the paper primarily looks at her mainconcern with the theme of transgressive desire which she constructs in various ways, bymaking an effective interlocking structure narrated by three main characters. Her adaptation ofthe Prometheus myths involves her perceptions of contemporary age, when they were greatlyinterested in the possibility of creation of life through the power of science. In addition, itconveys her vision of forthcoming danger and problems of science, which originated fromman’s unswerving ambition to be like God. The article explores such layers of significanceswhich underlie her creative adaptations of the two Prometheus myths.