Concetti Chiave
- Faustus is a mythological character known for making a pact with the Devil to gain infinite power and knowledge, ultimately leading to his eternal damnation.
- His story is widely used in literature, with notable adaptations by Marlowe and Goethe.
- The character of Frankenstein in literature parallels Faustus, portraying an over-reacher who seeks to transcend human limitations.
- Frankenstein's ambition to create life is viewed as illegal and immoral, yet romanticized for its intent to improve mankind's destiny.
- Captain Walton, another character, shares Frankenstein’s over-reaching ambition, risking everything to discover a secret passage to the North Pole.
Faustus and his pact
Faustus is a very famous mythological character which is very often used in plays and novels (for example his figure was used by Marlowe and Goethe).
He’s a scholar with an enormous knowledge, but he wants infinite power and knowledge in order to have the love of the girl he loves, who is the most beautiful woman in the world and to do this he signs with blood a pact with the Devil, selling his soul and having in return whatever he wants; but then he wants to have his soul back, but he can’t and he’s convict to the eternal damnation in Hell.
Frankenstein as an over-reacher
Frankenstein is himself a sort of Faustus, because he’s the typical over-reacher (a romantic term which means someone who wants to reach over, go beyond the limitations of human nature and wants to go over the best scientists). His mates tell him their job is to preserve life and not to create it, in fact it’s illegal and immoral. But for the romantics he’s a very positive character because he wants to go over improving the destiny of mankind.
Captain Walton's ambition
But this theme of the over-reacher is double important in the novel, because Frankenstein is not the only one to behave this way: the other figure is captain Walton, who isn’t satisfied with the normal sailing, he wants to find the secret passage to the North Pole and to do this he risks his life and his crew’s one : exactely in correlation with Victor Frankenstein
Domande da interrogazione
- What drives Faustus to make a pact with the Devil, and what are the consequences of his actions?
- How is Frankenstein portrayed as an over-reacher, and what are the implications of his ambitions?
- How does Captain Walton's ambition parallel that of Victor Frankenstein in the novel?
Faustus, a scholar with vast knowledge, desires infinite power and the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. To achieve this, he signs a pact with the Devil, selling his soul for whatever he wants. However, he later regrets his decision and seeks to reclaim his soul, but he is ultimately condemned to eternal damnation in Hell.
Frankenstein is depicted as an over-reacher, a romantic figure who seeks to transcend human limitations and surpass the greatest scientists. Despite warnings from his peers about the immorality and illegality of creating life, he is seen positively by romantics for his desire to improve mankind's destiny. His ambition reflects the theme of over-reaching in the novel.
Captain Walton, like Victor Frankenstein, embodies the theme of the over-reacher. Unsatisfied with ordinary sailing, Walton seeks the secret passage to the North Pole, risking his life and his crew's. This ambition mirrors Frankenstein's quest to surpass human limitations, highlighting the novel's exploration of the dangers and allure of over-reaching.
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