Worksheet Screening Movie: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a 1994 horror drama film directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian Holm, John Cleese, and Aidan Quinn. The picture was produced on a budget of $45 million and is considered the most faithful film adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, despite several differences and additions in plot from the novel.

(Q.1)-What are some major differences between movie and the novel Frankenstein ?

MARY SHELLEY’S NOVEL / KENNET BRAHNAG’S FILM

NOVEL➡Through his own studies and experiments, Victor Frankenstein develops a secret way of artificial  creating life.

MOVIE➨ Victor discovers the secret to creating life after examining the deceased Professor Waldman's research.

NOVEL➡ The details as to how Victor creates the creature's body parts are left unknown.

MOVIE➨Victor uses Professor Waldman's brain and pieces of criminals' corpses to assemble the creature's body.
NOVEL➡Victor uses an unkown process to create what would have been the monster's bride, which he destroys before bringing to life.

MOVIE➨Victor brings Elizabeth back to life, with the monster attempting to take her as his bride
 NOVEL➡ Elizabeth is killed by the monster strangling her

MOVIE➨Elizabeth has her heart ripped out by the monster

 NOVEL➡Henry and Victor are childhood friends; Victor initially goes to Ingolstadt alone, but Henry joins him there after several years

MOVIE➨Victor meets Henry at Ingolstadt.

(Q.2)-Did this movie help you in understanding the plot of the novel?

                   yes, After watching the movie,my  perception about novel, characters or situations is changed. While reading we can imagine the different kind of situations and scenes of the novel, but after watching the movie we come to know about how the dialogues were delivered, and after observing  the expressions, we conclude the interpretation more effectively
(Q.3)-Who do you think is real monster?

Victor Frankenstein: the real monsterthe fact still remains that "a true monster is evil, inhumane, and lacks remorse or caring for things that a normal, emotional human being should care for"- Daniel Chandler

Victor Frankenstein is the true monster in Mary Shelly's science fiction novel, "Frankenstein as opposed to the creature that is portrayed in modern day media.

Monstrous Characteristics Victor is the one that should be labeled as the monster shows characteristics of being a monster Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, composed a list of characteristics that define what a monster is: "unnatural aberrations of the nature order... hostile toward others... inspire dread and embody evil. not human even those that look and act like people are not fully human," All of these characteristics can be found in Victor's personality.
(Q.4)-From Where Mary Shelley get the idea for the novel Frankenstein ?

Many literary critics have long thought that Mary Shelley fabricated her account of how she came up with the idea for her 1818 novel "Frankenstein." But a research by a team of astronomers suggests that she was telling the truth.In the preface to the 1831 edition of the novel, Shelley wrote that the idea first came to her in the summer of 1816, where she stayed in a manor on Lake Geneva with her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and the writers Lord Byron and John Polidori. Byron suggested that each of them write a ghost story. Days passed, but Shelley produced nothing but "that blank incapability of invention which is the greatest misery of authorship."

(Q.5)-Do you think the search for the knowledge is dangerous and destructive? 

The relentless search for knowledge is portrayed to be dangerous and destructive in Shelly’s Frankenstein. Dangerous for both those who pursue knowledge Victor and Walton  around those who pursue knowledge  I.e. Walton’s crew and Frankenstein’s  friends and relatives. The monster’s curiosity to learn more about himself and the world especially learning language  leads him  to disappointment and then tragedy.                  Frankenstein to identify the consequences of his action is what cause him pain. It is this character flaw that makes Frankenstein a Modern Prometheus, warning Shelley’s readers of the dangers and destructive force of knowledge.

(Q.7)-What are some myths used by Mary Shelley in the Frankenstein? 

       Mary Shelly's Frankenstein  in three types myths are used .

         Paradise lost

         Narcissism 

         Myth of prometheus 

(Q.7)-Write about the narratology of the Frankenstein.

       Frame narratives, as exemplified by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,were popularly used in nineteenth century English literature to introduce multiple characters and perspectives. This literary device was a layered narrative that featured a story within a story, at times within yet another story.there are three narrators:

1- Captain Walton 

2- Victor Frankenstein 

3- The Monster