Prometheus And Frankenstein Analysis

Prometheus, a titan who brought fire to man, is alluded to hundreds of years later through Frankenstein, a scientist who brought a corpse back to life. With Prometheus being explored in the works of Hesiod and Aeschylus, and Frankenstein illustrated in Mary Shelley’s work- both ultimately illustrate how going beyond the norm threatens culture, balance and authority. In other words, the process of crossing the threshold is critical to an individual being extraordinary, though their contributions may initially be viewed as negative and unwanted. Campbell’s monomyth theory, which outlines the hero’s journey, explores the idea of crossing the threshold. Despite details being different for different heroes, the common theme stands still of crossing

As George Aichele argues in his article, “heroes repeatedly draw upon such a linear teleology, but it also challenges and disrupts it, opening up multiple historical and narrative paths and suggesting that people can switch between them or even (at least if they are heroes) redirect them.” In terms of Prometheus, the poet Aeschylus outlines the various ages of man and how Prometheus brought about a new age for man that involved art through the introduction of fire. This changed the future of humanity because the world was in a frozen state and bringing about something new prevented things from staying still. An article published in The Humanistic Psychologist describes this as an uncivilized world transforming into something civilized. This is a large part of Prometheus viewing himself as a hero to man, because while Zeus was not willing to cross the threshold, Prometheus was, and through that, humanity was entrusted with freedom and power themselves. Despite creating temporary discomfort in society, introducing a world of new possibilities in comparison to humans being merely passive objects in society, is a great