Who is the Monster in Frankenstein?
Who is the Monster in Frankenstein?
In Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, author Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley questions the creation of man in one of the first science-fiction novels ever written. At only 18 years old, Shelley used the birth (and loss) of her first-born child as inspiration for the unnamed "monster" assembled by Doctor Victor Frankenstein. The novel, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, follows Victor on his scientific quest to create life. Once acheived, he abandons his creature after his life is consumed with fear-- the fear that he has unleashed an abomination into the world, and the fear that the monster will return to kill its maker.
For years, "Frankenstein" has been misinterpreted as the monster's name. Really, the monster's creator, Victor Frankenstein holds the key to his family name... and his family's fate. As the monster realizes he is unwanted and unloved, he comes back to Victor's family in an effort to terrorize his creator, punishing him for his creation and his unwillingness to create again.
Aquila Theatre brilliantly interprets the story into a one-of-a-kind performance. Currently on their 2018-2019 U.S. National Tour, the company is concurrently presenting A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. In the past, they have performed other Shakespearian works such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Taming of the Shrew as well as other classics such as Fahrenheit 451 and Wuthering Heights.