Playing God in Shelleys Frankenstein Essay - 1202 Words

For as long as science has existed to satisfy mans appetite for knowledge and exploration, there have been people with the belief that science is none other than mans attempt to play God. The 19th century was a time of enlightenment where philosophical thought began and mans concern to better himself in a psychological form developed. During this time of enlightenment and exploration however, the standards of Christianity and ethical thought challenged science and its moral reasoning. Despite the large progress in society, the churchs vast power led the people to fear science. However the churchs fear was not just for the salvation of their church, but that science would disprove the proof of God and take Gods place in†¦show more content†¦However, in Victors role as God he is so enthralled with the thought of bringing life to a lifeless corpse that he ignores the moral affects that his creation will have on society. He wants so badly to understand, and potentially prevent, the mortality of man that he never thinks there may be a reason we cant create life or live forever. He thinks nothing to altering a system that has existed in the world since the inception of life. It is not until after he completes his experiment, he can only begin to understand some of the consequences. In discussing the shock of his creation Victor states, how can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pain and care I had endeavoured to form?(34). Much like with the current stem cell and genetics research ethical questions being raised, there are a lot of things to consider when one begins messing with the complexity of life. Life itself is complex beyond our understanding; relatively little is known today about its inner-workings. Therefore, it can be nothing better than irresponsible to create life from death, when you dont understand what is already alive. The admittance of his disappointment in his work causes one to question why he would create such a monstrous creature that would obviously not fit into society. The most obvious explanation would be that he is so overpowered with the possibility of his own death, that he hopes to gain the knowledge ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Playing God in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1917 Words   |  8 Pages     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What differentiates Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein from the majority of horror novels are the very real and timeless themes it explores.   The overriding theme of the novel - scientific investigation without consideration of morality and responsibility is still an important topic in today’s world.   â€Å"Perhaps the reality of cloning and genetic engineering makes this theme more relevant today than when Frankenstein was first published†(Patterson). This theme, along with the more subtleRead More Playing God in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay5215 Words   |  21 PagesAristotle defines the tragic hero as a man of high social status who invites the gods to punish him through overbearing pride and/or presumption – hubris. It would be simple to assign the label of hubristic tragic hero to Victor Frankenstein, but such assignment of a label would be an oversimplification. The gods in Greek drama punish, albeit harshly, in an outright manner. The tragic figure is aware that the gods have forsaken him, and he resigns to live his life under the demands of retributionRead MoreEssay about The Reasons for Victor Frankensteins Emotional Turmoil1140 Words   |  5 Pages10. Explore the basis for this turmoil and Mary Shelley’s portrayal of Victor’s state of mind. 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Later on, three of her four children died in their infancy, and her husband drowned off the shore of Tuscany. It would not be hard to believe that it was this series of burdensome life events thatRead MoreAnalysis of the Creation Scene from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 Film Version912 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of the Creation Scene from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 Film Version One of the key themes in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ is human arrogance. Frankenstein’s curiosity leads him to play the role of God. In a way Frankenstein is responsible for the monster and has ultimately become a father figure to the monster. Frankenstein abandoning the monster leads up to it turning evil and looking for revenge. Therefore, parenting is another themeRead More Themes of Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in Frankenstein are relevant to today’s modern world. 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