Frankenstein Key Quotes

• Victor Frankenstein


  • He is used as a cautionary tale against having excessive human ambition
  • He uses science to almost play the role of god
• Victor Frankenstein's actions


  Discounting the role of god and humans playing the role of god
• Prometheus


  A titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans, for which he was punished by Zeus
• Victor Frankenstein's punishment


  His entire family was annihilated by his creation, similar to Prometheus being chained and having his liver eaten
• Victor Frankenstein: 'It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn'
• Secrets of heaven and earth


  Things that are seen as the reserve of god
• Victor Frankenstein: 'Learn from me how dangerous the requirement of knowledge'
• Knowledge


  Dangerous, contrary to what people think
• Victor Frankenstein: 'A new species would bless me as its creator and source'
• Creating a new species

  Victor Frankenstein's ambition, like playing the role of god
• Victor Frankenstein: 'Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed dams of the grave'
• Horrors, grave


  Semantic field of death, showing Victor Frankenstein's actions becoming closer to his own death
• Dabbled


  Verb with sexual connotations, showing Victor Frankenstein's unsacred actions
• Unhallowed


  Not consecrated, not holy
• Victor Frankenstein: 'The beauty of the dream had vanished'
• Beauty of the dream


  Metaphor for Victor Frankenstein's ambition
• Victor Frankenstein: 'The filthy demon to whom I had given life'
• Filthy demon


  Hellish language used by Victor Frankenstein to describe his creation
• Maternal language


  Victor Frankenstein should not be using this to describe his creation
• Victor Frankenstein: 'Revenge kept me alive'
• Revenge


  Abstract noun, showing how Victor Frankenstein has become consumed by anger towards his creation
• Victor Frankenstein: 'Sorrow only increases with knowledge'
• Sorrow increases with knowledge

  Hyperbole, showing how Victor Frankenstein cautions against the dangers of ambition and seeking more knowledge