Humanity has unlocked the secrets of the universe for millennia, thus discovering more about the world; but will we ever reach a point where we know too much? This is indeed the premise of Shelley’s “Modern Prometheus”; a presentation of the consequences a man faces if he knows more than he can control. In Frankenstein, the idea of ​​knowledge always seems to be linked to the source of the protagonist's abundant feelings of apprehension and misery. The protagonist changes ascetically during his quest for greater knowledge with high hopes of success, but Shelly forbids the best outcome for Victor. Knowledge is seen as a negative concept in Frankenstein by haunting the main protagonist with a sense of isolation from humanity and blaming him for events that were the indirect effect of Victor gaining too much knowledge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the first volume, the reader is confronted with the scene where Victor sees an oak tree being struck by lightning, which is symbolic of Prometheus's attainment of knowledge; for fire and lightning were used to represent the power of knowledge in Greek mythology, particularly the ability to have free will (hence "The Modern Prometheus"). Lighting is seen as something intriguing and attractive, something that tempts Victor to “conquer” it; knowledge. Victor's infatuation with the "beauty" of lightning was distant (literally) but admirable at first; similar to Walton's journey, which was also a risky venture worth admiring at first. However, Victor does not control his "distance" from knowledge, which manifests itself when he approaches the oak tree, he only saw a struck stump, which foreshadows his state of being later when he will apply the forbidden knowledge he has acquired. Shelly pointedly implies the cliché that "the more you know, the more you don't know", which accurately describes Victor's character development, as the more knowledge he acquires, the more woefully ignorant he becomes. Even after Victor tastes the consequences of his forbidden knowledge, Shelly renders Victor incapable of accepting the dangers of this knowledge and continues to expand his grip on the unknown, as Shelley writes: "So much has been done , exclaimed the soul. of Frankenstein – I will achieve much more, much more; by following the steps already marked, I will open a new path, explore unknown powers and reveal to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (3:46). Shelley uses language that conflicts with the zeitgeist of the early 1800s, a time when the Catholic Church censored and restricted the growth of knowledge and understanding of the realm of science and nature. Victor would be the one to “blaze a new trail” and uncover the world’s “deepest mysteries of creation,” a task that questions the origins of human nature, something that was forbidden by the Catholic Church. Unlike Walton who was able to realize the boundary between reality and the dangerous unknown, Victor sets out to "unearth" the secrets of human nature, as shown in the scene where he literally digs cemeteries to construct his amalgam of knowledge that he acquired. . The idea of ​​learning through discovery is considered daring, which means it can also be dangerous, like the monster. Ambition also plays an important role in the novel, serving as a stimulusadditional to Victor's acquisition of knowledge. It's already been established that knowledge (in "Frankenstein") is a dangerous thing to question, so the question remains: why would an intellectual like Victor lack such foresight in the first place? Shelley asserts in the novel an overwhelming sense of ambition in the character Victor, preventing him from considering the future repercussions of the monster's creation. Victor's emotional response obscures his logical reasoning and, therefore, no amount of consolation can save him from the unredeemable knowledge that consumes him; similar to the fire that slowly burns the oak after the strike. Victor himself recognized his own sin, as he states: "Fate was too powerful, and its immutable laws had decreed my total and terrible destruction." » (2:38); essentially, it was not in pursuit of evil that Victor had wanted to gain this knowledge, but rather an inevitable destiny to which Victor was subject. Thus, a tragic hero is born from an obsessive desire to question the limits of human conception and the inner suffering that Victor experiences; knowledge has indeed produced a doomed romantic figure. Victor comments on how his ability to gain this knowledge and create the monster was decreed by fate, which is personified in the story to represent how dominant its presence is in his life. This was nevertheless inevitable, even if Victor had never pursued this path. quest in the first place, someone else would have done it in time - because Adam and Eve would eventually eat from the apple of knowledge, one way or another. Knowledge is therefore dangerous because it is irreversible; Once a concept is learned, it either provides the warmth of a calm flame or it ignites into a destructive fire. In "Frankenstein", however, knowledge is above all destructive of the characters' happiness, even the monster who had not yet matured emotionally regretted having learned of his own birth. Walton is spared the scourge of knowledge, because Victor was able to remind Walton that because knowledge is so liberating, one can easily lose understanding of what is granted to him, which in Victor's case, would be his family. Victor warns Walton thus: "If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and destroy your taste for those simple pleasures with which no alloy can mix, then this study is certainly illegal, i.e. -say: does not suit the human mind. Walton is fortunately able to realize that some knowledge is best left outside the human sphere, where it cannot prevent Walton from enjoying the "little things" that nature has to offer. this statement by Victor Frankenstein reflects Mary Shelley's thoughts on the trends of the current times. It was the early 1800s, science was in its infancy, a new fad spreading like wildfire and awakening people's quest for knowledge. It was stimulated by the recent interest in scientific discoveries and by the recent “Age of Enlightenment”. It was a time when morality and religion were questioned and logic and science were considered better tools for solving the world's problems. The problem found, however, was that people were passionate, because the movement was new, often excited in a way that clouded judgment. This is the attitude that Mary Shelley attempts to describe in Victor Frankenstein. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert editors. Get a trial »..”