The Gothic Protagonist.

A character is said to be a Gothic Protagonist if it follows a certain set of characteristics this usually involves:
  1. Some degree of hubris (tragic flaw)
  2. Of a high social status
  3. Somehow foreshadowed by doom/dancing with death
  4. A tendency to be influenced by past events
  5. The possession of considerable powers
  6. An absolute goal or aim (seeker figure)
  7. A connection to the Sublime


The seeker figure is one who usually has an absolute goal or aim, This can be seen in Victor who wished to "discover the secrets of heaven and earth". The seeker after forbidden knowledge is similar to that of alchemists: the knowledge of eternal life, the kinds of knowledge that would make men Gods. Like graveyard poets Shelly seeks these kinds of knowledge through the study of death. The figure of the seeker after forbidden knowledge is portrayed in Victor and through Victor one can explores how the Gothic protagonist dances with death.  The connections to Prometheus are reflected in a transmuted form. Prometheus suffered as a result of his forbidden knowledge and as a God suffered eternal torture, however Victor a mortal suffered until his death; a reminder perhaps of how one should not “play God” as we should not do so. This is also significant as the alternative title to Frankenstein was "the modern Prometheus". As well as this Macbeth had an ultimate aim too- to become king of Scotland. The essence of the body of legendry concerns the idea of a man who for an ultimate crime against God (Victor+ Forbidden knowledge) is doomed to a perpetual life on earth, which is never pleasant and is characterised by a perpetual weariness and tedium or for others is read as a kind of promethean defiance. The wandered is a hero figure possessed of supernatural powers (create life).The wanderer whatever his crime has long since expiated his sin or is not seen as fully deserving the punishment this stems from the idea the God who punishes him is a jealous God, who wishes to restrict human ambition. The wanderer may have committed a crime but is often in ignorance and therefore the victim of terrible persecution. And yet by defying God he has now acquired the taboo he transgressed himself becomes a source of terror and making him untouchable.

 Victor and Macbeth both came from a high social status. Macbeth was a earl of Scotland (or Thane) and Victor was an educated gentlemen from a privileged background. This is always interesting when reading a text from a Marxist perspective. For example the size and strength of the monster can relate to the proletariat in terms of the size of the working class in terms of the upper class. Victor created the "rebbelion" that destroys his life as he becomes his own grave digger as he ignores the moral obligation of noblisse oblige that Disraeli advocated.

Both Macbeth and Frankenstein have tragic flaws. They both possess a degree of Hubris. For Macbeth this is his unchecked moral ambition and his need for security; as his seat on the throne is amid such uncertainty this leads to him having unchecked moral restrains as he proceeds to murder anyone who might pose a threat to his seat. For Victor this is his unchecked moral constraints on his egoistical nature. For example when he created the monster he rejected him on the basis of aesthetic appearance despite his sheer intellect, and proceeds not to tell anyone indirectly killing his brother and Justine because his egoistical nature will not allow him. He thus displays hubris as this leads to him becoming socially isolated.

 Under stress the Gothic Protagonist may turn to the sublime as a mean of escaping stress. For Victor he sees the sublime as a source of "ecstasy" as it "lifts his souls upon wings", For the Gothic villains however the situation is in contrast they have little respect for the environment (The creature “I wished to wreak havoc onto the trees and sit amid the ruin” however he sought to abandon humanity and reside where one man cannot go to avoid humanity raising the question to who is the gothic villain)

Its important to note that the reader tends to feel sympathetic to the protagonist however there are quite significant traits or behavior that may put the reader off him/her. This is evident in Frankenstein as within the framework Shelly stance towards the relationship towards Victor and his creation complicates things; she intended to demonstrate the wrongness of Frankenstein efforts albeit at the same time showing the monster as fundamentally morally natural creature that is made evil by social circumstances; however this leads the reader to be uncertain whose behavior is most unjustifiable.

Note: This is always important within the exam as its easy to pick up marks on AO3+ AO2.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Notes on neoliberalism and financialisation

Neoliberalism: Springer et al 2016. Define neoliberalism as the “new political, economic and social arrangements within society that emphasise market relations, a re-tasking of the role of the state and individual responsibility.” They go on to argue that neoliberalism extends the competitive markets into all areas of life including the economy, politics and society. NB: Key idea of neoliberalism in politics – death of the labour party as they rewrote clause IV which resulted in no longer seeking to nationalise key industries, this could be seen as a betrayal of socialist values and demonstrates the success of neoliberalism. This breaks away from the longest suicide note in history termed by Kaufman where greater state ownership was proposed. A Multi-faceted Concept: An Ideology A hegemonic ideology since the last four decades which aims to roll back the frontiers of the state to embody classical forms of liberalism. Consider the hegemonic stability theor...
Read more

How is Entrapment Shown in Macbeth?

As according to David Punter the Gothic protagonist is prone to being socially isolated through entrapment, within Macbeth this is because the protagonist resembles the "seeker" figure. For example within the context of Macbeth enlightenment ideas were being to circulate which rejected "The Great Chain of Being" and argued God wasn't at the center of Mans existence, instead Man was. Therefore Macbeth advocates the danger of individualism in a attempt to appease King James.  Shakespeare  does this through exploring entrapment through three main levels; In a literal sense,  as a pawn of the three sisters  but also entrapment of the mind. A     As the Macbeth's break from natural law they seem to become increasingly entrapped in themselves. Indeed Chesterton on Macbeth stated;  The lawless man never breaks out; he breaks in.  He smashes a door and finds himself in another room, he smashes a wall and finds himself in a yet smaller one. ...
Read more

Analysis on the Erl King

Image
Context. The Erl King is a character depicted in a number of German poems and ballads as a malevolent creature whom haunts forests and carries travellers to their deaths.  The ' Erl King' was most famous as the antagonist in Goethe's poem Der Erlkonig, ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nxyS8wf8E) "I love you, your beautiful form entices me; And if you're not willing, then I will use force." "My father, my father, he's touching me now! The Elfking has done me harm!" It horrifies the father; he swiftly rides on, He holds the moaning child in his arms, Reaches the farm with great difficulty; In his arms, the child was dead. The Erl King could also be paralleled to the green man- the personification of nature found in many cultures in the world. Quick Summary. A teenage girl walking through a deserted, isolated forest is seduced by a wild man who lives there - The Erl King (personification of the woods). She fall...
Read more