Frankenstein

The Romantic Period

Introduction to the Romantic Movement

The Romantics (BBC documentary)

Frankenstein's Monster

The Real Story of Frankenstein's Monster (documentary) 

Summary 

Study Guide

Did You Know...

• Frankentein was written in 1818 by May Shelley at the age of 19.

• Frankenstein was actually the name of the creator of the monster and not the monster's name itself. In the story, the monster is never given a name. Words like monster, creature, fiend and wretch were used to refer to the monster.

• There is a lot of speculation about the origin of the name Frankentstein. It is speculated that Mary Shelley and her husband visited Castle Frankenstein on their way to Switzerland, where she originally conceived the story. Frankenstein is also a common German name. Shelley herself claimed that the name came from a dream-vision.

• The full title of the novel is "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus". It is said to refer to the Greek titan Prometheus who was credited with creating mankind.

• Many films about Frankenstein have been released, but most have strayed from the original plot of a young naive scientist creating a misunderstood but innocent creature. In films now, the scientist is older and arrogant (often a mad scientist type of character) and the creature is more sensational in its looks and actions. 

Elements of Fiction 

Chapter Summary