preview

Lord Byron's Prometheus And Frankenstein

Decent Essays

Many scientific discoveries have been made that better society, however, the pursuit of knowledge has the potential to come with a great price. Lord Byron’s “Prometheus” alludes to the Greek myth of the titan Prometheus who was sentenced to a life of torture simply because he gave mankind fire in order for them to become educated and obtain light. Mary Shelly, a close friend of Lord Byron’s, wrote Frankenstein which also centers around the same concept, that the discovery of experimental knowledge can come at a terrific price. Lord Byron’s “Prometheus” parallels yet contrasts the educational themes and biblical allusions in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.
“Prometheus” and Frankenstein both center around the importance of education, however “Prometheus”’ shines a positive light on the pursuit of knowledge that contrasts Frankenstein’s explorative look at the corrosive effects it can have. “Prometheus” focuses on the heroic deeds that a selfless hero enacted in order to save humanity from destruction and dark chaos. In a way Prometheus was the romantic’s hero due to his pursuit of knowledge and betterment that challenged societal norms. While Prometheus’ rebellion causes him to suffer a great punishment, it ended up being a positive action that benefited humanity for the better. “The Godlike crime was to be kind…And strengthen Man with his own mind” (Byron 33, 38) depicts how Prometheus’ generous actions were simply to bring positive reactions for humanity. Byron’s verse

Get Access