Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - the Birth of Gothic Horror

having covered the story of Dracula it is time to look at another Pioneer of Gothic horror Mary Shell's Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus is a novel that was first published in 1818 it tells the story of a young scientist who is able to create a Sapient being in what can be described as the greatest scientific discovery of that time the ability to turn lifeless body parts into a living being could change the world forever but this discovery becomes a battle between Creator and creation when the scientist sees his creation as an Abomination a Monster who

seeks revenge for being thrust into a life of rejection isolation abandonment and misery The Story begins with a series of four letters from Robert Walton to his sister back in London Walton is the captain of a ship Bound for the North Pole the aim of this Expedition is to explore the Lands Beyond the North Pole and to try and understand the source of its magnetism the novel itself is set sometime in the 18th century and so a Voyage to the North Pole was extremely perilous Walton tells his sister that he is unsure whether he will

even return August 4th in Walton's fourth letter his ship was stuck in the ice he and his crew saw a dog drawn sled being ridden by a figure that resembled a man but was significantly larger the following morning Walton woke and saw his crew talking to a man in the ice he was in a similar sled but there was only one dog alive the man was invited on board and when he heard that they were Bound for the North Pole he accepted the invitation after he recovered Walton questioned him why was he so far out

in the middle of nowhere the man told him that he was looking for someone who had fled from him they pieced together that it was the same man they had seen the day prior over the coming weeks Walton and the Man became friends the man originally planned on letting the tragedies he had suffered die with him but in the hopes that it could somehow assist Walton in the future he began to tell him his story Walton did his best to record everything the man told him and the rest of the narrative comes from Walton's manuscript

detailing the life of his friend the mysterious stranger was called Victor Frankenstein he was born in Geneva Switzerland when he was 5 years old his mother adopted an Italian orphan girl named Elizabeth Victor and Elizabeth had a wonderful childhood and were extremely close by 15 Victor developed a keen interest in philosophy but switched his studies to mathematics when he witnessed a thunderstorm up close this was only brief and his Focus would shift back to Natural philosophy or science as we know it today by 17 Victor was to study at the University of englad but before

he enrolled Elizabeth had caught the scarlet fever his mother ignored instructions to stay away from Elizabeth and cared for her until she made an unexpected recovery unfortunately the illness would take the life of Victor's mother before she died she revealed it was always her hope for Victor and Elizabeth to marry as originally planned Victor traveled to ingat to begin his studies over the next few weeks he became acquainted with his professors a particular Professor Mr ven was unlike any of the others the way he explained even the basics of chemistry inspired Victor by the end

of his lecture Victor was determined that he would be the one to uncover the secrets of cre cretion for the next 2 years Victor was obsessed with natural philosophy he studied and honed his skills at every opportunity not once did he return home in this time he made discoveries that had earned him notoriety at the University his knowledge had surpassed even some of his professors and he considered returning home as he felt engush at no longer had anything to offer him in his pursuit of greatness he turned his attention to the human frame and Anatomy

relating to the creation of life however in order to uncover the secrets of creation one must also study death and Decay he spent many days and nights in churchyards observing decaying bodies examining every Min new detail the countless hours of Labor and fatigue took its toll until he had finally succeeded he had uncovered the secrets that so many great minds before him had missed Victor had found the cause of creation he himself was now capable of bestowing life upon lifeless matter despite his Elation Victor was hesitant on paper his Discovery was groundbreaking however the practicality

of bringing a body to life would still be a very difficult task not to mention the moral implications eventually he had decided on creating a being large in stature at least 8T tall and magnificent for the next several months he collected the body parts required and stored them in his Workshop he was obsessed with his work and had lost touch with the people around him his sense of time was a blur as the seasons passed him by it was a dreary night in November when he would finally accomplish what he had set out to do

just past 1:00 a.m. Victor looked down and saw the eyes of his creation open Victor then described his creation he had selected limbs of perfect propor portion long lustrous black hair pearly white teeth and yellow skin that covered his muscles and organs Victor doesn't describe his Creation With Pride or a sense of achievement he is repulsed and scared the features he considered beautiful were starkly contrasted by watery eyes that were almost entirely white shriveled skin and dark black lips Victor had spent 2 years neglecting his friends family and his own health to create the being

in front of him and all he felt was a sense of disgust that night he struggled to sleep and when he eventually did he was woken by the Hideous wretch the monster he had created stood in front of him stretched out his arm and muttered some incoherent sounds was the monster trying to communicate with Victor was it Angry these are not thoughts that crossed his mind as he ran past him and hid in the courtyard until more morning wandering around englad Victor came across his childhood friend Henry or a they went back to his apartment

but it was empty the monster was nowhere to be found after months of neglect Victor had finally Fallen ill overcome by fever hry remained in englad to nurse his friend back to health when he had recovered hry Gave Victor a letter from Elizabeth the letter was asking Victor to come back home as he was being missed a former servant of theirs Justine morit had also come to live with them hry remained in ingat and together they took a break from natural philosophy to study Middle Eastern language they explored around Germany in their free time and

just as Victor began to feel more like himself he received a letter from his father in the letter his father told him that his brother William was dead he had been murdered the previous Thursday May 7th William had gone missing they searched all day and well into the evening but there was no sign the following morning at 5:00 a.m. his father found William's lifeless body in the grass the killer had left a fingerprint on his neck Victor traveled back to Geneva he visited the forest where William's body was found that evening the forest was illuminated

with lightning as he looked around he saw a figure that could not be mistaken Beacon a figure large in stature and deformed It could only be his monstrous creation why was he here how did he know this was Victor's Hometown was he the murderer all these thoughts raced through his mind and before he could compose himself the monster was gone Victor was convinced that the monster had to have been the murderer the next morning he arrived at his father's house but decided against explaining his suspicion because of how insane his story would sound Victor's younger

brother nnest told him that Justine Moritz had been accused for Williams murder a statement that Victor found ludicrous because he was convinced that his creation was responsible for William's murder Justine was to be tried that very same day the morning William's body was found Justine was taken ill and confined to her bed one of the servants when examining the clothes she had worn the prior night found a photo of their mother that belonged to William when she was confronted Justine was confused by everything and that was deemed enough evidence but Victor was adamant that they

were all wrong because he knew who the murderer was when the trial began there were numerous pieces of evidence against Justine along with the photo found in her possession she was also out the entire night the murder had taken place when questioned she told the court that she was out looking for the boy just like everyone else when it was time to defend herself she asked for a few Witnesses who could attest to her character if this was not enough to sway the court then she would accept her fate Elizabeth stepped forward and described her

time living with Justine she was certain that Justine was not capable of harming another human let alone one that she cared for Victor watched on as the judges seemed to have already made their decision the next morning the ballots had been cast they were all black Justine was guilty and had been condemned to death one of the judges explained that Justine had confessed to the crime and so they had no choice before her execution she requested to see Elizabeth one more time Victor would accompany her to the prison Justine confessed to Elizabeth that she did

not kill William she was pressured into confessing but she was ready to die she thanked Elizabeth and Victor for believing her Victor felt an enormous amount of guilt as it was his creation who was responsible the next morning Justine was executed Victor retired to his family's holiday home in Bel ree to mourn the deaths that he felt responsible for he was in constant fear of what acts of Terror the monster might inflict upon him next victor found the surrounding nature of the outs along with exercise helped to ease his concerns he challenged himself to reach

the summit of monver a large glacia on his climb he again saw the figure it charged towards him with little concern for the treacherous ice as it got closer Victor recognized his creation he prepared himself for a physical altercation he confronted the monster over his crimes to which he responded that he was once benevolent and good but misery isolation and the hatred of others had turned him into a fiend if Victor complied with his conditions accepted his proposal he would leave him and his loved ones alone if his creator could restore his happiness then perhaps

he could even become good once again Victor wasn't too interested in hearing the monster out he'd rather fight to the death the monster pointed out the irony of man Frankenstein accused his creation of murder but would happily kill his own creation the monster asked for compassion he wanted Frankenstein to hear his story he invited Victor back to his Hut where they could talk away from the cold Victor agreed to follow intrigued by the monster's Notions of compassion he sat by the fire and the monster began to tell his tale he recounts that after being created

his senses were overwhelmed and he had very little control over them he retreated into the forest as the light caused him pain he found a hut that belonged to an old old Shepherd but the man saw him and ran away terrified at Sunrise he walked until he found a village the children shrieked at the mere sight of him and the people of the village either fled or attacked him beaten and bruised he fled once more until he found a HOV attached to a cottage that he could take refuge in away from the icy winds and

snow he plan to stay there in isolation but from a distance he observed a family in the cottage and from from them he leared how to speak over the winter he watched and was fascinated by human interaction and emotion he learned that the old man was called father the boy Felix and the girl Agatha when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a pole of water he was mortified by his own appearance he dreamt of one day introducing himself to the family and being accepted by them he continued to learn in the hopes they

could look past his appearance when he looked inside the pockets of the jacket he had taken from Victor's Workshop he found his journal he learned about the process that created him and the hatred and disgust from Victor the monster wanted to know why Frankenstein would create a being so hideous that even his creator hated him despite this he remained focused on revealing himself to the family in the cottage if he could persuade them to look past his appearance then there was still hoped to be had but he was terrified of what would happen if he

failed the father in The Cottage was an old blind man he planned on entering the cottage when the father was alone as he could make an introduction where his appearance was not an issue when the children had gone the monster knocked on the door the old man invited him in and offered him a place to rest the monster confined in him and told him his plan to reveal himself to his friends in the hopes they would accept him him he explained his fears of being rejected and Outcast the old man told him that if he

was blameless and a good person then they would surely accept him before he could tell the old man the names of these friends he could hear the Man's children returning home he grabbed the old man's hand and told him that they were the friends he admired so dearly unfortunately the reaction of Felix and Agatha was what he feared most Agatha fainted at the mere sight of him and Felix grabbed his father and pulled him away from the monster Felix attacked him with a stick and the monster had no choice but to flee back to his

HOV no longer afraid of being discovered he wandered the forest howling in pain he cursed his creator and swore war on humanity and the man who had created him all was not lost he remained determined to reconcile with the family in the cottage he returned to the cottage and waited for the family to wake eventually he heard Felix talking to the owner of the cottage he was telling the landlord that they could no longer stay because the life of his father was in grave danger the monster spent the rest of the day in a state

of despair the family were gone and he'd never see them again he no longer felt hope he felt only anger and revenge he had no interest in controlling his emotions his mind was filled with thoughts of inflicting injury in y and pain causing death he destroyed the cottage and burnt It To The Ground his attention turned solely to his creator he knew his home was Geneva and that's where he traveled when he arrived he took refuge in the fields where he could calculate his next move he saw a young boy running through the fields the

monster thought that he could teach the boy and make a friend he revealed himself to the boy who placed his hands over his eyes and screamed he restrained the boy who continued to shout he thought the Hideous monster wanted to eat him the monster tried to calm him down but the boy threatened to tell his father when he mentioned his father's name was Frankenstein the monster felt an uncontrollable rage he assumed the boy belonged to his creator and so he would be the first victim he grasped his throat and strangled the boy he felt No

Remorse at the death of this child he was elated by the pain that that would be inflicted on Frankenstein he took the photo of a beautiful woman from the boy's pocket and left the scene of the crime he entered a barn where he found a woman sleeping he tried to wake the woman but then decided that he could cause more Mischief by placing the photo of the woman in her pocket he waited for the return of Victor Frankenstein now we finally hear of his request he was alone and would never be accepted by man but

he could be accepted and loved by one as hideous as him he wanted Victor to create him a mate a female companion of equal deformity this is what Frankenstein owed him this was the request he simply could not deny during the story Victor had softened towards his creation but after hearing his demands the feeling of anger overtook any sympathy he felt he denied the request the wickedness of his creation knew no bounds and he would not bring a second monster into this world the monster told him that he would not stop he would make Victor's

life unbearable if he had to he calmed himself and tried to appeal to his creator once more he only wished to feel appreciation they wouldn't live happy lives but they would still be harmless if Victor accepted his request no one would ever see them again they would travel to the wild of South America Victor again softened his creation had displayed a range of emotions the monster was right as his creator Victor felt that he owed him some semblance of sympathy the chance of a happy existence after weighing the options Victor accepted the request as long

as the monster left Europe and any place where man resided for months Victor struggled to Begin work on a female creation he came across the work of an English philosopher who could certainly Aid his task of creating his monster a mate his father also inquired as to why he was delaying his marriage with Elizabeth his Union with Elizabeth would surely bring him peace and happiness but first he would need to travel to London to ensure he could keep his end of the bargain they agreed hry would travel to England with Victor they would return within

a year and the marriage would take place in December they arrived in London HRI was excited to explore the city and interact with its people Victor however was focused on work he traveled to one of the most northern orne islands where he could set up his lab and work in secrecy he struggled with the morality of creating more monsters and was in constant fear that his creation would find him the monster had agreed to leave Humanity alone but what if his mate did not agree what if she was even more of a monster than than

him if they were to breed they would create what Victor described as devil-like Offspring Humanity would hold him responsible the sympathy once again faded as Victor considered the possible implications of his promise when he looked up he saw his creature in the window watching him as he anticipated the monster had followed him and was waiting to claim his bride the look on his face was that of deception and wickedness looking down at the creature he was working on Victor tore it to Pieces the monster howled in agony and disappeared later that night he returned to

the cabin to question Victor did he dare break his promise the creature reminded him that he would make his life miserable if he betrayed him Victor was Resolute and told him that he would not make his bride before leaving the monster told Victor that he would be with him on his wedding night but Victor replied that he should also be scared of him after receiving a letter from hry Victor destroyed his lab equipment and made his way back to shore he reached a small town where the locals accused him of murdering a man in his

20s the night before he was taken to the magistrate Mr Kerwin here the local fisherman told the magistrate of a body they found on the shore when they went out fishing it was a man about 25 years old who had been strangled other than the black mark on his neck there were no other signs of violence the fisherman saw only the figure of a man in a boat that was identical to the one Victor had arrived in he was taken to the room where the body was so they could see his reaction when looking down

at the body that lay in the coffin Victor was distraught as it was the body of his friend HRI clal barely able to stand Victor was carried out of the room and soon after came down with a fever that lasted 2 months he remained in prison during this confused State the magistrate managed to contact Victor's father to come and collect him there was no evidence to prove Victor had killed HRI but there was evidence proving that when the murder took place Victor was on an island in orne he was set free and accompanied his father

back to Geneva Victor's only concern was watching over his remaining family to keep them safe from his monster Victor agreed to marry Elizabeth immediately upon arriving they would spend their honeymoon on Lake KOMO after arriving in the cottage in Ko Victor explored the surroundings calculating his Monster's next move all of a sudden he heard a dreadful scream coming from the room where Elizabeth had gone to bed he rushed into the room where Elizabeth lay motionless she was dead the mark of the monster around her neck just like the others he saw the monster waiting at

the shutters a large grin on his face Victor drew his pistol and fired he missed and the monster jumped into the lake disappearing he returned to Geneva where his father had fallen ill within a few weeks he died of grief Victor began to spiral into madness he visited the cemetery where his father and Elizabeth were buried when cursing his actions and the monster he heard someone laughing he looked looked around and saw nothing next to him the monster whispered that he was satisfied Victor vowed that nothing would stop him avenging his family and friends even

if it cost him his own Humanity the monster he had created must be killed for months Victor chased the monster his Pursuit took him to the Arctic where the locals spoke of a monster who had stolen their supply of winter food and placed it in a sled drawn by dogs he acquired his own sled built for the treacherous ice he found the sled of the monster and pursued him for 2 days he was within a mile of his enemy when his hopes were Shattered by the ice beneath him the ice split open and he sank

below he accepted his fate the monster had beaten him that was until he saw a vessel in the ice taken aboard we returned to the present day upon the ship of Robert Walton weak and dying Victor pleaded with Walton to finish his mission to Kill The Wretched Beast he had created The Narrative now switches back to Walton's letters to his sister the ship continued to battle the ice and Walton feared that there would soon be a mutiny Victor defended his friend and persuaded the crew to have faith in their Captain Walton was truly sympathetic to

Victor and wanted to help him but as soon as the ship was free from the ice he decided to abandon their mission and return home the crew were Overjoyed by the news but Victor had no plans to return home he knew he had failed in his mission in Walton's final letter he tells his sister that Victor had died when writing the letter he was interrupted by noise coming from the cabin where Victor's body was being kept he entered the cabin and saw a huge figure hung over the coffin grieving when he saw Walton he ran

towards the window but stopped when Walton called out to him the monster spoke with the death of his creator his crimes had been consummated his miserable existence had come to its end he asked for forgiveness but Victor could not answer Walton called out the monster's hypocrisy in mourning over the man whose life he had ruined he told Walton that he didn't have to worry no man would have to worry about his wickedness anymore for he was to take his life and finally feel peace the monster jumped out of the window into the icy waters below

Walton watched on as he disappeared into the darkness [Music] [Music]