:20 Mrs. Dalloway
:30 Heart of Darkness
:40 Watchmen
:50 Hamlet
:57 Watchmen
1:00 The Hours
1:10 The Handmaid’s Tale
1:24 Hamlet
1:27 True Grit
1:40 The Stranger
1:47 Mrs. Dalloway
1:50 Frankenstein
1:55 Watchmen
2:00 Frankenstein & Heart of Darkness
2:10 Watchmen
2:16 True Grit, Hamlet, The Hours
2:22 Watchmen
2:30 Heart of Darkness
2:35 Hamlet
2:38 Watchmen
2:44 Frankenstein
2:55 Watchmen
3:00 Frankenstein & Watchmen
Literary Devices Used:
Verse – any composition in lines of more or less regular rhythm, usually ending in rhymes, is verse
Connotation – our associations and suggestions related to a word.
Imagery – to speak of all the images of a poem taken together. Often more useful than to speak of only one image.
Haiku – poem that consist many of images in 3 lines of a 5-7-5 syllables traditionally. Some English haiku poets do not follow this formula.
Simile – a comparison of two things using like or as
Paradox – a statement that at first strikes us as self- contradictory but that on reflection makes some sense.
Rhyme – when two or more words or phrases contain an identical or similar vowel sound, usually accented, and the consonant-sounds (if any) that follow the vowel-sound are identical ex. Hay/ sleigh, prairie schooner/piano tuner. (exact rhyme)
End Rhyme – comes at the end of lines. Internal Rhyme comes in the middle of a line of poetry.
Allusion – an indirect reference to any person, place, or thing – fictitious, historical, or actual.
Abstract diction- words that express ideas of concepts. Ex. love, time, truth, etc.
Tone – the attitude the poet wants a reader to take towards a theme or subject of a poem.
Onomatopoeia – an attempt to represent a thing or action by a word that imitates the sound associated with it. Ex zoom, buzz, crash, etc.
Watchmen
The world isn’t funny, but it is all a joke.
The punchline, a silence evaporated into the smoke
Of the windows they watched through that shattered and crashed
And the bodies that fell to the streets turned to ash.
In twelve seconds time the photograph would drop to his feet
Though they seemed intertwined their neutrinos were free.
We all seem bound to that same twisted fate,
The man and the photograph, the raft and a doomed pirate freight.
Time never stands still
For those who watch the watchmen
Never watch the clock.
Frankenstein– This super hero remains true to his literary parallel in the sense that his abilities are just his normal capabilities magnified. He is a character reminiscent of Beast in the X-men, in the sense that he was a created hero not a born hero. This knowledge that he was created into what he perceives to be a monster fills him with lots of anger and resentment towards the world. He struggles with anger issues like the Hulk, and can fall prey to his base emotions.
Abilities Include: Will to survive, indestructibility, brute strength
Weaknesses Include: Experiences strong emotions and can become slave to those emotions
Mattie Ross– This vigilante is different from the others in the sense that she has no inhuman powers. She is motivated solely by a desire for justice, and she her motives for pursuing a life of being a vigilante stem from the murder of her father. She is comparable to Batman in this sense, and likewise would use special equipment and gear to help her with her work.
Abilities Include: What would be called a “Normal.” No super abilities, however she has a strong moral compass that seeks justice, which is what prompts her to become a vigilante.
Weaknesses Include: Inability to work well with other vigilantes, strong distrust of men.
Queen Gertrude– I’ve decided to empower more of the women super heroes by transforming their literary personas into positive vigilante personas. I have decided to adopt the version of Queen Gertrude in which she is the power player in her relationship with Claudius, and the mastermind behind the happenings of the court of Denmark. Her super power is ironic of her fate in the play, because instead of being her undoing I have it become her super power.
Abilities Include: Impervious to poisons, her super power is like that of the Gila monster, can secrete venom from skin that can temporarily paralyze and even kill victims
Weaknesses Include: Is blind to people’s inner motives, she can be fooled by outward appearance or by nemesis alter egos
Off red– In The Handmaid’s Tale, so much of the success of the women was based on their fertility. The arrival of a period meant that the women had failed. Instead of keeping this negative association with a normal bodily function, I decided to turn it into a magical span of time in which it becomes a superpower.
Abilities Include: Once every month for a period of about eight days she gains every super power known to mankind. (Laser vision, ability to fly, telekinesis, etc.)
Weaknesses Include: During this period of time she can become especially hungry, irritable, and prone to foot cramps.
Who is this nemesis? Select a character from the works you’ve read this year to cast as your super villain. What is this villain’s master plan? What powers or skills does the villain possess? Are there any other members of the rogue’s gallery or perhaps henchman?
Kurtz is the arch-nemesis of this band of superheroes. He does not possess brute strength, special gear, or any inhuman abilities. His power is his ability to transfix people with his voice, and hypnotize them into doing his bidding. He is motivated by years in his youth when he was bedridden due to a sickness, and spent his days reading himself books. This became a form of escape, and eventually he developed an ability to speak in such a way that he would transport himself away from his own life into that of a story. He decided to use this ability for evil, and employs it as a tool for world domination. He is aided by groups of followers that he has hypnotized for his purposes. Because he is otherwise human and susceptible to any physical threat, he has built a kingdom for himself in the depths of uncharted African territory as a means of hiding from those that would seek to usurp him.
Frankenstein- LGI
King Claudius- LG Recert Participant
Ozymandias- LG in-training
Brickmaker- LG in-training
These four characters are participating in a Lifeguarding course. There are three course participants—one who is re-certifying—and a lifeguard instructor. Each participant is affected by the course in one way or another, as it serves as a microcosm for different aspects of life that they are dealing with. The entirety of the play takes place in the Farmington UMF pool. The course inevitably teaches the participants about themselves, about lifeguarding, and about mechanical fasteners. Enjoy.
Introductions Act 1 Scene 1
Frankenstein: Hey guys—you are all here because you want to become a lifeguard, or you want to renew your certification. I’m here to help you do that. My name is Frank, I’m going to be your lifeguard instructor. Are there any questions before we begin?
Ozymandias: Are goggles okay?
Frankenstein: We will accept them for use during your 550 meter prerequisite swim, however they will be prohibited during any other part of the course.
Ozymandias: Cool. Thanks.
Frankenstein: Also before we begin, I’d like it if we could go around and say why we are taking this course. Claudius, you go first.
Claudius: Yep. I’m Claudius, I’m a junior at—
Frankenstein: Let’s also have everyone include one fun fact.
Claudius : *sigh* Alright. As I said I’m Claudius I go here at UMF—
Frankenstein: And how about we all say our favorite ice cream flavor.
Claudius: Are you done.
Frankenstein: I didn’t spend months turning my animal noises into coherent english just to be shut up by my students. Everyone, we are going to skip Claudius and come back to him when he is feeling ready to be an active and engaged participant.
Claudius: This is ridiculous. My name’s Claudius, I’m a junior at UMF. This is the second time I’m certifying. Fun fact about me, I’m danish and can make a mean Pebber Nodder. I’m becoming a lifeguard because I have a special interest in learning the first aid that goes along with this course ever since my brother was mysteriously poisoned.
**The class is hushed**
Claudius: My favorite ice cream is mint chip.
Ozymandias: Well I guess I’ll go next. My name is Oz, I’m the supreme pharaoh of Egypt—
Frankenstein: Whoah whoah hold up a second. I don’t believe that you’re the pharaoh..
Ozymandias Pauses.
Frankenstein: I though the Pharaoh was Seti l…
Ozymandias: Oh yeah see that’s a common misconception. He died in a freak pyramid accident. I’m his successor.
Frankenstein: Ohhh a freak pyramid accident. I hear those can be quite routine and fatal.
Ozymandias: Yes the whole thing was quite unfortunate. Anyways this is the first time I’m taking the course, I’m taking it because I’m hoping to better my swimming skills. Fun fact I almost drowned in the nile when I was younger, so this is also to get over my fear of the water. My favorite ice cream flavor is Muddy Bean Boots.
Frankenstein: Alright, we have one more participant to introduce.
Brickmaker: Hi everyone. My favorite ice cream is vanilla with a kurtz coat on top.
Claudius: What’s a kurtz coat.
Brickmaker: Oh I’m sorry I misspoke. I meant a crunch coat.
Frankenstein: How about you introduce who you are and why you’re taking the course.
Brickmaker: Oh yes of course. My name is Joe. I make bricks. I’m taking this course because I hear that most pools use rivets.
Frankenstein: You’re taking this course to see our rivets?
Brickmaker: Yuh sir that is the general gist of it yes.
Frankenstein: Interesting.
Brickmaker: We also have have many creature-encounters of the alligator type on the river where I live. I’m taking this course so I can learn to fight off the alligators.
Frankenstein: Alligators?
Brickmaker: Yes sir. Alligators and rivets.
Frankenstien: This course will not provide you with either of those things.
Brickmaker: Well I’ll be on my way then.
Frankenstein: Alright. Let’s have our remaining two participants jump in and we’ll begin with our front Active Victim Rescue Maneuver.
Claudius: Can I ask a quick question?
Frankenstein: Shoot.
Claudius: You’re looking kind of green, are you okay?
Frankenstein: Oh uh… yes. Well. I’ve been in the pool all day. Chlorine can do… funny things to your skin I guess.
Claudius: Huh.
Frankenstein: ANYWAYS. Let’s begin.
The Grateful Dead — The Grateful Deadly Men
7. If I Had the World to Give- If I Had the World to Give I’d Still Take all the Ivory
“Fire On The Mountain” Original Lyrics- Marshall Tucker Band (I explain this in a bit)
Took my fam’ly away from my Carolina home
Had dreams about the West and started to roam
Six long months on a dust covered trail
They say heaven’s at the end but so far it’s been hell
And there’s fire on the mountain, lightnin’ in the air
Gold in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
We were diggin’ and siftin’ from five to five
Sellin’ everything we found just to stay alive
Gold flowed free like the whiskey in the bars
Sinnin’ was the big thing, lord and Satan was his star
And there’s fire on the mountain, lightnin’ in the air
Gold in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Dance hall girls were the evenin’ treat
Empty cartridges and blood lined the gutters of the street
Men were shot down for the sake of fun
Or just to hear the noise of their forty-four guns
And there’s fire on the mountain, lightnin’ in the air
Gold in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Now my widow she weeps by my grave
Tears flow free for her man she couldn’t save
Shot down in cold blood by a gun that carried fame
All for a useless and no good worthless claim
And there’s fire on the mountain, lightnin’ in the air
Gold in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Fire on the mountain, lightnin’ in the air
Gold in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Waitin’ for me there
This process was actually much more fun and much easier than I anticipated. It helped that the song I chose, “Fire on the Mountain” already contained dark subject material, and required just a few changes to easily make it fit “Heart of Darkness.” Most of the changes I made are a little heavy-handed in their obvious connection to the text I chose. However, the most profound change I made was to the lyric, “there’s fire on the mountain.” I changed this to “there’s fire on the river” to symbolize not only their physical journey along the Congo, but the collision of two forces that are so opposite in nature that their meeting seems to defy sense or reason, creating something unbelievable. This is supposed to represent Kurtz and Marlow, two forces that are fundamentally different but are drawn together through a common purpose. The band I chose was the Grateful Dead, and the song titles that I altered belong to them. However, there are two “Fire on the Mountain” songs, and the lyrics to the one I used is actually not by The Grateful Dead, but is instead by The Marshall Tucker band. This was a simple mistake on my part! Everything else in this post is GD stuff.
“Fire On The River” Altered Lyrics
Took my fam’ly away from my United Kingdom home
Had dreams about Belgium and started to roam
Six long months on a waterlogged boat
They say heaven’s at the end but so far it’s been hell
And there’s fire on the River, lightnin’ in the air
Ivory in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
We were chuggin‘ and tuggin‘ from five to five
Shooting everything we found just to stay alive
Ivory flowed free like the whiskey in the bars
Sinnin’ was the big thing, Kurtz and Satan was his star
And there’s fire on the River, lightnin’ in the air
Ivory in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Rotten Elephant meat was the evenin’ treat
Empty cartridges and blood lined the gutters of the street
Savages were shot down for the sake of fun
Or just to hear the noise of their forty-four guns
And there’s fire on the River, lightnin’ in the air
Ivory in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Now no one weeps by my grave
Tears flow free for the Savages we couldn’t save
Shot down in cold blood by a gun that carried fame
All for a useless and no good worthless claim
And there’s fire on the River, lightnin’ in the air
Ivory in them hills and it’s waitin’ for me there
Fire on the River, lightnin’ in the air
Kurtz in them hills and he’s waitin’ for me there
Waitin’ for me there
I chose to plot Cormac McCarthy’s “The Crossing” for this project.
This first image is the entire map, starting in their left with the cliff and the creek. The boy brings the wolf’s body to a grassy clearing in hopes of burying it, and makes trip to the creek numerous times to collect firewood and clean the bloody burial cloths. After visually seeing the tight confines of his path and the many times he retraces his steps, I’m made aware how confused and in shock he must have felt. He seems scared to leave the tiny world he has made for himself.
In contrast, the right side of the map represents the fictional dream world the boy creates in his head, to reconcile his memories of the wolf in its vitality with the dead one he sees before him. This side of the map bears only the wolf’s footprints, as it climbs into the mountains, and runs “with the deer and hare and dove and ground vole all richly empaneled on the air for her delight” (McCarthy 47-49).
Anna Glass & Nicole Pires
March 7, 2016
Story Bible for Hamlet Characters
Hamlet:
Hamlet begins the book as a righteous hero seeking to avenge his Father, but progresses to becoming a tragic hero who is no better than his father’s murderer. He is motivated by pride, and hindered by a lack of empathy. In his quest for revenge, he loses sight of the other people in his life who care about him, and he seems to ensnare these people as collateral damage on his path to revenge. Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his lack of empathy, and his tendency to be clouded by his emotions. In our rendition Hamlet is a teenager who is struggling with his own identity in light of the death of his father. He harbors a lot of resentment towards his family because of the changes that take place after that death.
Claudius:
Claudius plans and executes the death of his brother in order to gain power, an act that establishes him as the antagonist of this story. His tragic flaw is his hubris, his unending belief that he will be able to get away with his schemes. His pride is wrapped into all aspects of his personality. It fuels his dislike for Hamlet, as he reminds Claudius of his older brother, the first-born, and the one who received privilege and entitlement. His pride is ultimately his downfall, for in the final act of the play, it is his pride that prevents him from taking the poisoned glass from the Queen’s lips, because of his desire to see Hamlet’s murder through to its conclusion. Claudius is the strange uncle that comes to live with Hamlet and his mother, and although he is not married to the mother he is the creepy family member that doesn’t know boundaries and constantly hits on the mother. He has an uneasy relationship with Hamlet because Hamlet still receives the mother’s attention and reminds her of her late husband.
Gertrude:
There is the potential for Queen Gertrude to be construed as either a scheming and manipulative Queen or a weak and feeble wife. In regards to the latter description, she is constantly defending an evil man, and can’t seem to take accountability for her misfortunes and the feelings of her son. She does not seem to have a mind of her own, and is generally pushed around by her husband Claudius. Her tragic flaw is that she places too much trust in those around her, particularly in Claudius who she fails to see as an evil antagonist to her son. In our rendition, Gertrude is the meek mother who cannot seem to see the unhealthy dynamic she has created by allowing the uncle into her family. She used to be strong and independent, but the death of her husband left her shattered and open to the possibility of Claudius.
Ophelia:
Ophelia is a headstrong and willful woman. She knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to speak up for herself and her needs. She cares deeply about the other characters—especially Hamlet—and is often what binds them together. He death becomes a central rift between two of the main characters, Hamlet and Polonius. Her tragic flaw is her constancy to empathize, and ultimately care too deeply about those around her. In our rendition Ophelia is Hamlet’s best friend, and she always treads the line between his friend and his love interest. She is his equal. She understands the trials that his family puts him through and is very empathetic. her death spurs Hamlet’s true undoing.
Polonius: Polonius is the royal counsel or advisor, and he balances that role with his duties to his children, Laertes and Ophelia. He is wise and level-headed, and like his daughter he is the glue that holds many of these characters together. he is well-liked for his sound advice and wisdom, and he generally knows how to solve the royal families problems. His tragic flaw is that he tries too hard to fix the problems that are not his—from helping Ophelia with regards to her issues with Hamlet, to aligning himself with the King to monitor Hamlet’s behaviors. Polonius is the suspicious and not-so-trusting father of Ophelia, and he believes Hamlet is a bad influence on her. He does not approve of their relationship, and because he aligns himself with Hamlet’s uncle, he loses Hamlet’s respect.
Laertes:
Laertes is impulsive and headstrong—a dangerous combination. Laertes wants to be a patriarchal figure, as shown in his desire to give Ophelia advice. He cannot achieve the standing he desires because of an inherent lack of necessary maturity and wisdom. His tragic flaw is that he has the desire to be a patriarchal figure, but still leans on the advice given to him by others, regardless if they are a sound source for advice. Laertes is the immature older brother to Ophelia, and though she does love him she doesn’t accept his advice. In our rendition he is the impulsive brother that is obsessed with sports, girls, and the next fight he can pick. When Claudius gives him the chance to express these impulses Laertes seizes the opportunity.
The Life of A Useless Man
Remember the faces,
There are no two people alike.
Seize upon his eyes, his voice, the way he holds his hands;
Memory, concealed in hostility.
Your face won’t do,
You mustn’t go about without a disguise.
You ought to have pins, needles, tape, hairpins, ribbon.
Spring something; wheedle bone.
Smooth, close, stretch, crack.
The original text which I created this blackout poem is about two men, Maklakov and Yevsey. They are taking a walk together and Maklakov, a russian spy, is informing Yevsey about how to read people and memorize their identifying aspects. They walk into a bar and order two beers and a brandy. Yevsey appears distressed at the advice Maklakov gives him. At the end of the page, Maklakov asks Yevsey to tell him what he is thinking about, to which Yevsey responds, “about myself, or about everything…” (Gorki 115). This statement appears to incite reminiscing and memories in Yevsey, and that part is a place from which I took inspiration for my poem.
The poem I created from Maxim Gorki’s The Life of A Useless Man is about reconciling memory with change. In the first four lines of the poem I try to speak to the urge people sometimes have for trying to capture a fleeting moment; like memorizing the lines of someone’s face, or a particular idiosyncrasy that makes them so distinguishable. “Memory concealed in hostility” is meant to speak to the fact that change can be hostile and unwelcome, while memories of the way things were can be painful like “a musical but melancholy chime” (Wordsworth Mutability 4).
Although this poem is not a sonnet, I did include a volta, in line 5. The shift to a commanding and unsatisfied tone is meant to speak to the state of dissatisfaction felt by some individuals who seek radical change. This part can be related to Frankenstein, because of his desire to create something that will change the world. The last two lines, are an homage to the work of Dr. Frankenstein; he who cracks bones and stretches skin over a foreign frame, all in the hopes of making something dead into something once again mutable. I wanted to show the frantic nature of trying to remember as it was that which is about to change, the yesterday that “may ner’er be like his morrow” (Shelley Mutability 15).
The poem Prometheus centers around Prometheus and his fatal flaw, bestowing fire upon mankind. Fire in itself is a very basic and raw entity. It is a basic necessity for life, but also an inevitable enabler of destruction. For this act Prometheus is tortured by his punishment, “The rock, the vulture, and the chain” (Byron line 7). These three instruments are gritty and primal, and thus they set a tone for the rest of the poem about basic and raw human suffering, the only end in sight becomes “Death, a victory” (Byron line 59).
John Keats’s uses passionate language and themes in Ode on a Grecian Urn to describe different aspects of the human experience. The references in this poem are to ancient aspects of Greek culture, the “dales of Arcady” (Keats line 7) and the “deities or mortals” (Keats line 6). Together sex, sacrifice, and belief are just examples of how raw simplicity perfectly captures the core of earthly shared experiences: how “Beauty is truth, truth—beauty” (Keats line 49).
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores the raw emotions behind themes such as creation, destruction, fatalism, and tragedy. With the completion of Dr. Frankenstein’s life work comes the harbinger of his ultimate doom, and through this strange relationship spring different instinctual states of being that are experienced by the main characters. That which is raw, primal, and primitive is explored in this novel.
Because of the connections and common themes of basic humanism within these texts, I have selected “Raw” as the capturing word.
“A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility” (Shelley 34). Rarely can perfection be attained, or passion resisted, for it is human nature to disrupt that which exists in harmony. Pride and ambition fuel this thirst for change, and result in hubris, a tragic flaw. For while the intention for good can exist, “men’s minds are wild,” (Hamlet 5.2.438-440) and “purposes mistook fall on the inventor’s heads” (Hamlet 5.2.422-426). Despite the existence of peace, there will always be those who are restless with the way things are— those who desire an upset in the natural order regardless of the consequences.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Claudius, fueled by pride and ambition, murders his brother and rises to power, upsetting both the natural order and the divine feudal law of primogeniture. The perversion of these two orders through one fatal act seals his fate and ends his life in misery. Claudius envies the power of his brother, King Hamlet, and chooses to seek his own glory by murdering his brother “with juice of cursed hebona in a vial” whose contents into his brother’s ear “did pour” (1.5.69-70). This pursuit of power through “carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,” (5.2. 422-426) sets in motion a chain of events inspiring nothing but death, until the entire kingdom is seethed in turmoil and dispute. Though Claudius shows remorse, stating his “offense is rank, it smells to heaven, it hath the primal eldest curse upon it,” (3.3.40-42) he admits that he is still possessed of the effects for which he did the murder: “my crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” (3.3. 59). Even when faced with the opportunity to prevent the poisoning of his wife, he lets her die to preserve his power and status. Thus, even on the brink of his wife’s death, Claudius can not make amends for the sins he commits, nor will he acknowledge the consequences of his actions. The divine and natural order restores itself through the fated deaths of all characters entwined in Claudius and Hamlet’s schemes; tragic fate purges the kingdom of all that has been touched by evil, the “eager droppings into milk” (1.5.76) the “incestuous sheets” (1.2.162) and the “salt of the most unrighteous tears” (1.2.159). In the absence of a restoration of balance, nature will find its own way for the guilty parties to recompense.
“Give me children or else I die. Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her” (Atwood 88). In Margret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the governmental regime of Gilead seeks to control procreation, a kismet both natural and divine, whose corruption through management borders on the sacrilegious. This regime upsets natural order by taking the choice of whether or not to reproduce away from women, citing that it is their duty to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Atwood 88). The new government, controlled primarily by men, take all power and choice away from women, and enforce “an older form of simultaneous polygamy practiced in old testament times” (Atwood 305), dispelling the idea that “there is more than one kind of freedom, freedom to and freedom from” (Atwood 24) by only allowing the latter. A society founded on the principle of enslaving women and their bodies allows a complete distortion of the way women are viewed, reducing them to nothing but “tulips, opening their cups, spilling out color” (Atwood 12) and “sisters, dipped in blood” (Atwood 9). The result of this corruption of the natural order results in women no longer viewing birth as organic and beautiful, but something they must present, “a made thing, not something born” (Atwood 66). This society intentionally ignores the indescribable damage it creates for men and women for the attainment of a single goal.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s hubris and quest for knowledge result in his desire “penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places” (Shelley 27) regardless of the impacts this intrusion has on nature and society. His work results in the forging of an abomination, a creation so monstrous and unnatural that it disrupts the balance of nature, mocking God himself. Frankenstein’s youth and inexperience draw him to become inspired by great natural philosophers before him, and his ambition and thirst for knowledge entreat him to be “like these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, who have indeed performed miracles” (Shelley 27). On his path to success, he becomes ever urged forward by “a resistless, and almost frantic impulse,” (Shelley 33) to “become capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 31). Blinded by ambition and zeal, Victor Frankenstein goes beyond the boundaries of nature in his endeavors. He fails to see how his actions will result in an imbalance, so affected is he by hubris, “the evil influence, the angel of destruction,” which asserted over him “omnipotent sway” (Shelley 25). Frankenstein realizes that he has created an upset in the natural order of life, but when faced with his creation there is no time for remedial action. He sees in the monster the design of his demise, and “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust” (Shelley 35) soon fill his heart.
In the end, it is not the perversion of the natural and divine order, but rather the inability to restore order that results in tragic downfall. Restoration of the court of Denmark is only achieved through the deaths of all parties caught in Claudius’s scheme, leaving none but “the harsh world draw thy breath in pain” (5.2.383-384) to tell their story. Even when the regime of Gilead is broken up in The Handmaid’s Tale society is never fully recovered, seeming to be “dying, dying of too much choice” (Atwood 25). In the tragic case of Victor Frankenstein, order is not restored, and nothing is left but a bloody trail of collateral damage in the wake of his creation. Without a restoration of that natural or divine order which was lost, only tragedy can befall those that seek to “command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows” (Shelley 27).
cosmicanagrams 