Mary Shelley’s notion of beginning ‘Frakenstein’ came out to be greater than just an evening’s amusement as a horrifying story. It probed many socio-political context of the prevalent society and also probed many hidden female voices even though all the female characters are under a silent garb. The title itself speaks volumes about the text which is to follow;multiplicity which is reverberated throughout,which is highly seen in its inter-texuality feature a prominent gothic element.
The subtitle ‘modern prometheus’ in a sense links the old greek myth to the modern world or is trying to give a new comparitive picture to the modern world. As the legend has it,Titan created humankind out of mud and water and then he dared to steal the fires from God for the benifit of humankind. He was punished by an anry zeus. By adding the word ‘modern’ before it, Mary Shelley is puting forth comparison ofthe two.
According t the Romantics,Prometheus was a hero both in his capacity as a creator and a rebel, Mary shelley would have been well acquainted with this idea, one the greatest romantics of the age,was married to her. So in a sense the act of Prometheus can also be celebrated for having the courage to steal the fire from gods,for the benifit of humanity. This juxtaposition on the title page is seen to be in action throughout the novel. Other than this , it also carries an epigraph from milton’s much celebrated work ‘paradise lost’. he quoted words invites intertextual analysis and echo a questioning voice, which is another repeated trope in the novel. The anguished and questioning voice of the fallen adam to the highest authority, though he is in no sense defying it like prometheus but it mirrors the questions putup by the creature to his creator. So in a view creator is also criticised for the creation he created irresponsibly.
The Essay on The Modern Prometheus
Such is the subtitle that accompanies Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein. We’ve all heard of the famous monster created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein. But, not many know why the story is subtitled, “Or, The Modern Prometheus”. In fact, many may not even make the connection to the story of the ancient Greek god who brought fire to humans, his own creation, and was eternally punished for it. However, ...
