Introduction
John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are two important literary works that explore how man interacts with his environment. Frankenstein examines man’s quest for knowledge and its effects, whereas Paradise Lost investigates his fall from grace and his endeavor to return to paradise. Both Shelley and Milton provide information to readers about man’s connection to the natural world, the perils of knowledge, and the value of unfettered will through their study of these themes.
Similarities of Paradise Lost and Frankenstein
The two texts’ emphasis on man’s interaction with the environment is among their many striking parallels. In Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve are created in the Garden of Eden, a utopia where they coexist peacefully with nature. However, after eating from the prohibited tree, they are driven out of the Garden and confronted by a harsh atmosphere.
Similarly, Victor’s quest for control and wisdom results in the outcome of the creature, a distortion of nature, in Frankenstein. “I am thy creature, and I will even be mild and docile to my natural lord and king if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me,” the monstrosity says to Victor (Shelley 130). The monster views Victor as his biological master and the person who created him, and this is perverting to nature in the process (Shelley). In both texts, the connection between man and nature is portrayed as brittle and precarious, and the only way that man has any chance of surviving is by respecting nature.
The two texts’ examination of the perils of information is a significant area of overlap. Adam and Eve struggle in Paradise Lost because they are interested in understanding what was prohibited, while Satan is condemned for attempting to comprehend as much as God.
Similar to Victor, who creates the monster and meets his demise due to his quest for knowledge in Frankenstein. This is depicted when Victor states, ” Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow,” (Shelley 53). Both texts warn readers against going beyond what is real and normal in their quest for knowledge and urge them to temper their efforts with an awareness of their limitations.
Ultimately, both Paradise Lost and Frankenstein highlight the value of free will. Adam and Eve have the liberty of deciding whether or not to consume from the forbidden tree in Paradise Lost, and their decision brings about their fall.
Similar to Victor having the free will to make the monster in Frankenstein, the monster also has the freedom to behave as he does. The monster declares, “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom you thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us” (Shelley 121). The monster’s remarks stress that Victor’s creature possesses free will and that his decisions led to the decisions he made.
Conclusion
In conclusion, even though Frankenstein and Paradise Lost are distinct literary works, they both examine the ways in which humans engage with their surroundings. Both texts stress the value of appreciating the nature of reality and warn against the risks of seeking information beyond one’s capabilities. They also emphasize the significance of free decision-making and the reality that man’s deeds result from his own decisions. Ultimately, both writings convey to readers the value of modesty, respect, and accountability in their interactions with others and the environment.
Works Cited
Milton, John. Paradise Lost, 1667. Scolar Press, 1968.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Harvard University Press, 2019.