Pandora, Prometheus and Frankenstein

When reading Frankenstein, most readers are able to look past the surface to the numerous underlying themes and motifs. The most commonly identified allusion seems to be the link between Victor and Prometheus. Many people, however, don’t realize that there is more to the myth. While Shelley does make this allusion obvious through the act of creating, she also goes further and incorporates the entire myth into the novel.

On a very basic level is the link between both Prometheus and Victor being over-reachers. In Greek mythology, Prometheus is the creator of mankind. He gives life to a new creature. Similarly, Victor thought himself “capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelly 37). Mary Shelley emphasizes this parallel between Victor and Prometheus in the details of creating. In some versions of the myth, Prometheus steals fire and uses it to bring man to life. Victor uses fire for the same purpose. He “infuse[s] a spark of being into the lifeless thing” (Shelley 43).  The spark alludes to fire being used to bring man to life. Thus Shelley clearly establishes that Victor is indeed a modern Prometheus.

Shelley then continues this parallel, embedding the entire myth into her novel. After Zeus realizes what Prometheus has done, he punishes him. The only difference between Prometheus and Victor is that Victor’s sin was “not against self or God, but against moral order and society” (Goldberg 33). Therefore, it is fitting that his punishment stems from society rather than God. His punishment is separation from society and the death of those he loves, further isolating him. As Victor soon realizes, a “solitary cell had been [his] habitation…” (Shelley 176). This is the “horrible curse upon [his] head” (Shelley 141).

Further in keeping with the myth, Victor’s actions unleash a Pandora. In the Greek myth, after Zeus declares Prometheus’ punishment, he decrees that man must also be punished. He has Hephaestus create a beautiful woman, has various goddesses bestow gifts upon her, and then makes her extremely curious. Finally, before sending her down, he gives her a box and tells her never to open it. However, her curiosity gets the best of her. She unleashes despair, death, disease, and various other evils upon the world. Thus, she brings misery upon mankind. Similarly, the creature also brings misery onto society. The creator, Victor, describes the creature as a “wretch whose delight was in carnage and misery” (Shelley 60).  The misery the creature brings is especially evident in the number of deaths caused by the creature. He kills everyone Victor cares about. Plus, even though he didn’t mean to, he terrified villagers and caused the De Lacey family to move. Much like Pandora, he doesn’t always create misery intentionally, but it is there nevertheless. Victor even realizes that he cannot create a companion for the creature because they “would make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror” (144).  The creature and Pandora are both plagues upon society.

Thus we can see that Shelley was able to incorporate the entire myth of Prometheus into her novel. She went beyond just linking Prometheus and Victor together as over-reachers. Victor was punished and the creature was a plague.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Signet, 1965. Print.

Goldberg, M. A. "Moral and Myth in Mrs. Shelley's "Frankenstein"" JSTOR. N.p., 17 Aug. 2013. Web.