LE3 .A278 2016

2016

Saklofske, Jon

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

English

English & Theatre Studies

This thesis examines the role of classical Greek values and customs regarding hospitality, kinship, and justice in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Beginning with a repositioning of the novel’s mythological associations, the myths of Zeus and his father Cronos are identified as more potent sources of classical allusion than those of Prometheus in the text. As Zeus is the patron god of xenia, the role of this and other connected Greek concepts are explored in the context of Frankenstein as a new interpretation of the relationships between the creature and the humans he meets. The echoes of other ancient cultural practices such as homicide trials in Phreatto and classical concepts such as blood pollution encourage the perception of Shelley as a classical scholar who wove such references into her fictional work. These classical themes are used by Shelley to illustrate a larger critique of social, moral, and parental responsibility in early nineteenth century England.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1578