Published in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein remains a groundbreaking literary achievement whose iconic monster continues to captivate modern readers. William Shakespeare, hundreds of years before Shelley, also played a monster at the center of his fantasy The Tempest: Caliban, the illegitimate son of a witch and a devil, whose wicked nature is central to the plot of both. Works explore our fascination with the “otherness” of monstrosity, the distorted and hideous creatures that wreak havoc and destruction, the creators – Dr. Frankenstein and Prospero – operate in a class of total monstrosity. different. Dr. Frankenstein is a self-proclaimed demigod, arrogantly daring to create life without divine sanction, and in doing so, wreaks havoc on his once stable world. In comparison, Prospero dominates his isolated island, tyrannically wielding his power. to control the destiny of those around him. An analysis of these two levels of monsters, the "creation-monster" and the "creator-monster", forces readers to confront the uncomfortable suggestion that it is Prospero and Dr. Frankenstein who possess truly monstrous qualities rivaling and , in some ways surpassing their "monster creature". monsters” in wickedness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayThe character of Prospero is one of the most intriguing and well-known creations in the Shakespearean canon. His authority over the natural world and its inhabitants has a particularly captivating effect on audiences, as the character is seen by some as autobiographical, controlling the destiny of individuals and the environment in the same sense that the playwright Shakespeare does with his actors and its audience. . Despite the immediate appeal many have to Prospero's power, his selfishness, selfishness, and unrepentant manipulation reveal a somewhat ruthless character. From the moment Prospero is introduced, he shows a disturbing pleasure in controlling and exercising power over others. He takes on the role of the unnatural puppeteer, without remorse for the uproar and distress his actions cause in others. His image as creator, as divinity, allows Prospero to view the rest of humanity as inferior and vulnerable beings whose autonomy is not worth respecting. Additionally, his methods of control are often petty and vindictive. Caliban is forced into slavery and threatened with “cramps, side stitches that will take your breath away.” The sea urchins will come out all night so they can work on you. You will be pinched as thick as a honeycomb, each pinch more stinging than the bees that made them” (37). Ariel, the faithful servant, is also greeted with disdain and indignation when he reminds Prospero of his promise of freedom from servitude, while Prospero retorts that Ariel is a liar and a "malign thing" (31). He torments Stephano, a butler, and Trinculo, a jester, simply for his own amusement (103). Even regarding his own daughter, Miranda, Prospero does not hesitate to use her as an accessory to advance his selfish project. He cultivates a relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples, to create a union that will ensure the security of Prospero's status once he reclaims his duchy. By trampling on the humanity and free will of those around him, he inevitably diminishes his own humanity. Unlike Prospero's power, Caliban, a deformed and abnormal creature, outright called a monster by Stephano and Trinculoas they marvel at its unsightliness. form (33). While his gruesome appearance assumes that of the traditional monstrous archetype, Caliban is less of a monstrosity than a representation of the essence of primitive instinct without the constructs of society. Although he is unsympathetic and grotesque, Caliban operates on the simplistic level of a naive child. His verbal and physical conduct, while atrocious and offensive, is the product of his uneducated primal compulsions, rather than the result of a desire to harm and incite fear. Unlike Prospero, he does not torture and torment for his own entertainment and pleasure; he simply reacts in an animalistic way to his environment, as he does not have access to education while enslaved on the island. He simply acts in pursuit of his own advantage, taking whatever steps are necessary to ensure his survival and personal gain, unable to consider the high cost of his actions to others. Caliban can no sooner be judged as a monster than a young child can be punished for his natural immaturity. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein offers an interesting parallel with Shakespeare's "creator" and "creature" monsters. Shelley depicts the dangers of unchecked obsession in the character of Victor Frankenstein, whose devolution while pursuing his passion for science leaves him a manic shell of himself and costs him everything he once held dear. He is fascinated by the idea of ​​reanimating a deceased figure, allowing himself to be entirely enveloped by this singular quest, remarking: “I seemed to have lost all soul or feeling without this one quest. » (55). The rebirth of Frankenstein's creature marks the emergence of not one but two forms of monstrosity: one, the disfigured creature, and the other, ironically, the creator, Dr. Frankenstein. The unholy desire to create unnatural life caused Victor Frankenstein to confuse morality and distance himself so far from humanity that he emerges from his experiments as a monster, detached from humanity by a mind rotten enough to harbor such a profane idea. After The Creature comes to life, Frankenstein, horrified by the reality of his actions, abandons his creation in the hope of being able to escape it. Victor's attitude is best summed up when he says: "I clung to all pretensions of delay and hesitated to take the first step" (155). His cowardice and shame allow him to turn a blind eye to his conscience. Eventually, mortification and contrition drive Dr. Frankenstein to attempt revenge on The Creature, but it is to no avail. Ultimately, Frankenstein's quest to obtain God-like power results in a loss of his humanity, transforming him from a passionate scientist into a monster himself. The phrase "Frankenstein's monster" often conjures up images of an unintelligent, barbaric, ogre-like creature with awkwardly screwed bolts. in the neck and green skin covering a huge shape. The reality is that Victor Frankenstein's creation was not the mindless, immobile creature that pop culture often makes it out to be. Although distorted and frightening in its physical appearance, the Creature begins life seeking companionship and fulfillment through socializing with other people. Moments after his creation, The Creature presents a non-aggressive and friendly attitude towards Dr. Frankenstein, who is immediately horrified by The Creature's mutilated looks and the reality of what he had done (58-60). This initial abandonment on the part of his creator is the first but certainly not the last instance of rejection in The Creature's life. The creature is left alone and confused, forced to acclimate to the human world while wearing a physical.