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E D U C AT O R S’STUDY GUIDE

FRANKENSTEIN Educators’ Study Guide

by Patty Carver & Jeffrey Jackson

© 2007 Goehring-Evans Productions and the authors.

All rights reserved.

E D U C A T O R S ’ S T U D Y G U I D E 2

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

PRE-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Mary Shelley & Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

About Mary Shelley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

About Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Title and Its Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Frankenstein as a Gothic Novel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Frankenstein as Science Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Summary of Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Characters in the Novel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Key Facts About Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Frankenstein on Stage, Film and TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Creating the Stage Musical Frankenstein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Theater Etiquette and Questions Middle-Grade Students May Ask . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Vocabulary List and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Frankenstein Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

POST-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Questions About the Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Frankenstein Quiz—Fill in the Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Discussion and Essay Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


P R E P E R F O R M A N C E A C T I V I T I E S

MARY SHELLEY & FRANKENSTEIN…

In the summer of 1816, a young, well-educated woman from England traveledwith her lover to the Swiss Alps. Unseasonable rain kept them trapped inside theirlodgings, where they entertained themselves by reading ghost stories. At the urgingof renowned poet Lord Byron, a friend and neighbor, they set their own pens topaper, competing to see who could write the best ghost story. The young woman,Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, took the prize, having composed a story creepyenough not only to take its place alongside the old German tales that she and herAlpine companions had been reading, but also to become a bestseller in her timeand a Gothic classic that still resonates with readers almost two centuries later.

ABOUT MARY SHELLEY

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born on August30, 1797 in London. Her mother, MaryWollstonecraft, wrote The Vindication of the Rights ofWomen, a feminist tract that encouraged women tothink and act for themselves. Wollstonecraft diedgiving birth to Mary, leaving her daughter in the careof her husband, William Godwin, a member of theradical thinkers of England including Thomas Paineand William Blake. This literary background affordedMary exposure to the most cutting edge and radicalideas of the day.

As a teenager, Mary met and fell in love with the then married poet, PercyBysshe Shelley. Their affair lasted for two years and they were married underscandalous circumstances; Harriet, Percy’s wife and pregnant with his child,drowned herself in London. Mary and Percy were married a few weeks later.

Percy edited the manuscript for Frankenstein and is commonly believed to havewritten the preface under her name. Frankenstein was published on January 1st,1818 and became an immediate best seller. From 1815 to 1819 Mary and Percyhad four children. Three of the four died in infancy. In 1822 Percy drowned offthe shore of Tuscany, leaving Mary a widow and single mother. She devoted therest of her life to her own writing and publishing her husband’s works. MaryShelley, plagued with serious illness, died in London in February, 1851.


ABOUT FRANKENSTEIN

The early nineteenth century was not a good timeto be a female writer, particularly if one wasaudacious enough to be a female novelist.Contemporary “wisdom” held that no one would bewilling to read the work of a woman; the fantasticsuccess of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein served tothoroughly disprove this rather foolish theory.

Frankenstein established Shelley as a woman ofletters when such a thing was believed to be acontradiction in terms; her reputation in Europewas surpassed only by that of Madame de Stael. DeStael, however, was more famous for continuing topublish her works despite the fact that the EmperorNapoleon had explicitly forbade her to do so ratherthan for the quality of the works themselves.

Though it is now customarily classified as a horror story (albeit the first andpurest of its kind), it is interesting to note that Mary Shelley’s contemporariesregarded it as a serious novel of ideas. It served as an illustration of many of thetenets of William Godwin’s philosophy, and did more to promote his ideas than hisown work ever did. The novel does not, however, subscribe to all of Godwin’sprecepts. It stands in explicit opposition to the idea that man can achieveperfection; in fact, it argues that any attempt to attain perfection will ultimatelyend in ruin.

Frankenstein is part of the Gothic movement in literature, a form that was onlyjust becoming popular in England at the time of its publication. The Gothic modewas a reaction against the humanistic, rationalist literature of The Age of Reason;one might say it was ushered in by the death of Keats, the English author withwhom Romanticism is perhaps most closely associated. Frankenstein might be seenas a compromise between the Gothic approach and the Romantic one: it addressesserious philosophical subjects in a fantastical manner and though it confrontsrecognizable human problems, it can hardly be said to take place in a “rational,”comprehensible, recognizable natural world. Some critics have suggested that thistension between Gothic and Romantic literary modes echoes the philosophicaltension that existed between Mary Shelley and her husband, the Romantic poetPercy Bysshe Shelley.

As the prejudice against women writers was quite strong, Mary Shelleydetermined to publish the first edition anonymously. Despite this fact, the novel’sunprecedented success paved the way for some of the most prominent womenwriters of the nineteenth century, including George Eliot, George Sand, and theBronté sisters. All of them owed Mary a tremendous literary debt. Without thepioneering work of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, a great many female authorsmight never have taken up their pens; they might never have felt free to exhibitdark imagination, nor to engage in philosophical reflection. Without her and thewomen whose work she made possible, English literature would be unquestionablythe poorer.


A page from Mary Shelley’soriginal manuscript ofFrankenstein

THE TITLE AND ITS MEANING

The full title of the novel is Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. It comparesthe protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, to the Greek god Prometheus. In Greekmythology, Prometheus was one of the Titans, the original rulers of the universe—but they were later overthrown by the Olympians, led by Zeus. The namePrometheus was formed from the Greek pro (before) and methes (thinking); thus,his name means “forethought.” He is associated with the creation of man fromearth and water and with the bestowal on man of gifts that made him superior toanimals. After the Olympians became the supreme rulers of the universe,Prometheus continued to look out for the welfare of human beings. At one point,legend says Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mankind for its benefit.Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock on Mount Caucusus andsent down an eagle to feed constantly on Prometheus’s liver. Because Prometheuswas immortal, his liver restored itself every time the eagle ate of it. Thus,Prometheus suffered unrelenting, everlasting torture. The comparison ofFrankenstein to Prometheus is apt, for three reasons. First, like Prometheus,Frankenstein became a creator. Second, Frankenstein also defied heaven, for inmaking the monster he usurped power reserved for heaven alone. Third,Frankenstein suffered greatly for this defiance.

FRANKENSTEIN AS A GOTHIC NOVEL

Frankenstein is a Gothic novel, a literary genre that focuses on dark, mysterious,terrifying events. The story unfolds at one or more spooky sites, such as a dimly litcastle, an old mansion on a hilltop, a misty cemetery, a forlorn countryside, or thelaboratory of a scientist conducting frightful experiments. In some Gothic novels,characters imagine that they see ghosts and monsters. In others, the ghosts andmonsters are real. The weather in a Gothic novel is often dreary or foul: There maybe high winds that rattle windowpanes, electrical storms with lightning strikes, andgray skies that brood over landscapes. The Gothic novel derives its name from theGothic architectural style popular in Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries.Gothic structures–such as cathedrals–featured cavernous interiors with deepshadows, stone walls that echoed the footsteps of worshippers, gargoyles loomingon exterior ledges, and soaring spires suggestive of a supernatural presence.

FRANKENSTEIN AS SCIENCE FICTION

Frankenstein contains elements of science fiction, a literary genre focusing on afictional story of how scientific experiments, discoveries, and technologies affecthuman beings for better or worse. Science fiction differs from fantasy in that itpresents events that appear to be scientifically plausible. Traveling to anothergalaxy in a spaceship is scientifically plausible. Riding to the moon on a wingedhorse is not scientifically plausible.


SUMMARY OF FRANKENSTEIN

Beginning at the end

Robert Walton, an English sea captain undertakes an expedition to the NorthPole. Walton corresponds to his sister by letter, telling her that he and his crewhave discovered a man traveling by dogsled. The man is near death and takenaboard the merchant vessel, where he tells Walton his strange story.

The man’s name is Victor Frankenstein.

Victor’s youth

He tells Walton of his childhood; how he was born into a wealthy Swiss familyto good and loving parents, Alphonse and Caroline. He tells of how, when he wasa boy, his mother, Caroline adopted a foster girl named Elizabeth into theFrankenstein family. Elizabeth was close in age to Victor, and they were to becomeinseparable. Victor also became best friends with one of his classmates, HenryClerval, the son of a local merchant.

The Frankenstein family, Caroline, Alphonse, their sons, Victor, Earnest, Williamand their adopted daughter, Elizabeth settled in Geneva.

When the time comes for Victor to begin his university studies at Ingolstadt, hismother, Caroline passes away from scarlet fever before he leaves. On her deathbedshe expresses her fondest desire: to see Victor and Elizabeth married.

While Victor is at Ingolstadt, the Frankensteins take in a young woman namedJustine as a servant, and she is regarded with great fondness by the family.

At Ingolstadt, Victor creates life!

In the meantime, at Ingolstadt, Victor’s passion for science and naturalphilosophy is further excited by Professor Waldman. Victor becomes consumedwith discovering the secret of the life force that is present in human beings andspends day and night in his laboratory, obsessed with learning as much as he canabout it. His experiments lead him to some exciting, new discoveries. His successesencourage him to attempt one amazing achievement: to create a human life! Heplans to do this by fashioning the ultimate human being out of pieces of the dead.

Victor tells no one of his work and years pass without his visiting home. Hebuilds a “creature” that is eight feet tall and seemingly perfect in physique. Butwhen it is brought to life, Victor is horror stricken by the Creature’s deathlyappearance—something he did not anticipate while he was regarding it only as anobject of his labors. In a panic, Victor flees his laboratory, but when he returns, theCreature is gone.

The aftermath of the creation

At that moment, Victor’s old friend, Henry Clerval, arrives at Ingolstadt to beginstudies of his own. Henry finds Victor panic-stricken and sick with worry overwhat he has done. He collapses in an emotional breakdown, and Henry nurses himback to health over the course of many months. Once recovered, Victor returns tohis studies, vowing to shun his old obsessions.


William’s death and Justine’s trial

Later on, Victor receives a letter from his father with tragic news: Victor’syounger brother, William, has been murdered in the countryside near theFrankenstein estate. Victor is distraught with grief and immediately departsIngolstadt for home. As he reaches the city gates of Geneva, a thunderstorm rages.By the glare of a flash of lightning, he catches a glimpse of an odd, bizarre figure inthe distance. He is immediately seized by the fear that this is somehow the beinghe brought to life—and that this monster must be his brother’s murderer!

Upon speaking to his family the next morning, Victor learns that Justine, (hisfamily’s trusted maidservant) has been accused of William’s murder. William waswearing an antique locket at the time of his death which was found in the folds ofJustine’s dress the morning after the murder. Victor knows that she is beingaccused unjustly, but he cannot bring himself to tell his family or the authoritiesabout the Creature—for fear they will think he is a madman. Justine remains inprison, she is tried, found guilty and ultimately hanged for the murder.

The Creature returns to confront Victor

Justine’s execution only compounds the family’s grief. Victor sinks into a deepdepression, burdened by feelings of guilt for both William and Justine’s death,since he made the monster who is responsible. Unable to face his family, he treksoff into the Alps on his own. There, after many solitary days, Victor comes face toface with the Creature. At first, Victor reacts with rage, cursing the Creature andattempting to attack him. But the being that Victor last saw is no longer anawkward mute, but an articulate, cunning creature, with the strength of ten menand the agility of a jungle cat. He easily could kill Victor, but he has other plans.

The Creature’s tale

First, he forces Victor to listen to the story of what has happened to him for thepast two years. After Victor fled the laboratory in horror, the Creature wandered,cold and hungry through the woods. Like a newborn child, he had nounderstanding of his surroundings. He was frightened of everything and could notfeed himself—he did not even know what food was! Little by little, like a lostanimal, he learned to feed and shelter himself. He also learned that human beingslooked on his ugly form and immediately feared, ridiculed, and detested him,simply for what he looked like. He could not speak to explain that he meant themno harm, so the people of each town that he wandered into would drive him offwith weapons and hatred.

The Creature and the blind man’s family

Finally, in a secluded part of a forest, he finds shelter in an abandoned shedattached to a small cottage. In that cottage lived a family—an old blind man andhis two children, Agatha and Felix. The family’s name is DeLacey. By observingthem, the Creature learns to speak and understand words. The Creature even tellsof reading three books; Paradise Lost, The Sorrows of Young Werther andPlutarch’s Lives. Because of his reading and observation, the Creature, in time,learns to speak eloquently and understand the ways of humanity. He even finds a


book of Victor’s writings and notes, and from it, learns the truth of what he is andhow he came to be.

After observing the blind man’s family for some time, the Creature makes anoverture of friendship to the blind man when the rest of the family is gone.Because of DeLacey’s blindness he has no prejudice against the Creature, and treatshim with kindness and respect. But when the rest of the family returns, they reactwith fear upon seeing the Creature, and drive him from the cottage with stones.The Creature resolves to try again the next day, but by morning, the entire familyhas fled in fear, abandoning their little cottage. Outraged, the Creature burns thecottage to the ground and vows revenge upon all humankind for their cruelty.

Revenge!

The Creature, full of sorrow and cursing his own hideousness, decides to findand punish the man he holds most responsible for his misery: his creator, VictorFrankenstein. From the book of Victors’ writings, the Creature knows where theFrankenstein family lives, so he sets off on foot, across Europe to the city ofGeneva. There, the Creature encounters Victor’s young brother, William. Afterlearning that William is one of the Frankensteins, and seeing that even this smallboy looks upon him with only fear and revulsion, the Creature murders youngWilliam. He takes a locket from William that Elizabeth had given him and flees.During the night, he happens upon a barn where he finds Justine sleeping. She hadbeen out all night looking for lost William. Exhausted, she sought shelter in thisstable outside the city gates. In seeing pretty Justine, the Creature realizes that ifshe were awake, she, too, would likely fear and curse his hideous appearance. Thisonly makes him angrier, so he decides to place William’s locket in the folds ofJustine’s dress, knowing it will cause her to be accused of the murder—a plan thatworks very well.

The Creature offers a bargain

After he finishes telling Victor his story, the Creature then demands that Victorcreate a female mate for him so that he may have companionship. He reasons thatonly a woman made like himself, and equally hideous, will accept and love him. IfVictor complies, the Creature promises to leave human society forever and escapeto some wilderness with his “bride.” Victor agrees—partly out of fear that if herefuses, the Creature will murder more of his loved ones, but he also hopes that hecan correct his past mistakes and truly create the perfect being he once envisioned.He also realizes that he owes his creation some measure of happiness for havingabandoned him.

The Creature leaves Victor to begin his labors, promising that he will always benearby, watching to make sure Victor keeps up his end of the bargain.

Victor instantly regrets having agreed to the deal, but fears what will happen ifhe doesn’t follow through. He delays as long as he dares, and then plans to set offfor England, where he hopes to begin his work. Fearing for his sad and depressedstate, Victor’s father urges Victor’s old friend, Henry, to go with him.

During the trip, Victor and Henry have many good times—so much so thatVictor would like to forget all about the Creature and the promise he has made.But eventually, they arrive in England and Victor knows that he has to do what heagreed to do.


Not wanting Henry to know anything about it, he makes an excuse to partcompany with Henry and sets off for an island off the coast of Scotland where hecan work in solitude.

Victor begins to stitch together a female creation, but halfway through the work,he is seized by the fear that this new creation may end up just as murderous andvile as his first—or that perhaps, together, they will spawn more monsters and takeover the earth. When he realizes the Creature is right outside the window, watching(he has been following him the whole time!) he tears the female monster apartbefore the Creature’s eyes. The Creature is devastated and promises Victor, “I shallbe with you on your wedding night,” a threat that Victor assumes means that theCreature plans to kill him, too, on that night.

More tragedy

Victor takes a small rowboat out into the center of a Scottish lake. There hethrows the dead remains overboard along with all his lab equipment. He falls intoan exhausted sleep and drifts for an entire day upon the open water. When hewashes ashore, he is immediately seized and charged with murder! Confused, theauthorities take him to see the body of the victim. Victor is horrified to learn thatthe dead man is his dearest friend— Henry Clerval. Instantly, he realizes that theCreature has taken his revenge out on poor Henry. Victor is later cleared of thesecharges, but the loss of his dearest friend brings on an emotional trauma that lastsfor months.

Once he returns home to Geneva, he is eager to face and kill the Creature, or diehimself in the effort. Remembering the Creature’s threat (“I will be with you onyour wedding-night!”) he endeavors to move up the plans for his wedding toElizabeth. All through the wedding day, Victor is filled with dread, rememberingthe Creature’s threat. That night, he and Elizabeth begin their honeymoon in avilla on the shores of a Swiss lake. While never sharing his dark fears withElizabeth, Victor stands guard outside, waiting for the Creature’s attack. But theCreature does not attack Victor. Instead, he steals into Elizabeth’s bedroom andmurders her. Before Victor can save her, the Creature runs off into the night.Victor’s father, upon hearing the news, takes to his bed where he soon after dies ofshock and grief.

A chase to the Arctic

Having lost everyone he ever loved, Victor is determined to spend the rest of hislife pursuing the Creature. This is precisely what the Creature wants because nowVictor will be as wretched and miserable as he is. He leads Victor on a long andpunishing trek across Europe, always making sure to stay just ahead of him, so thatVictor will continue his pursuit. For many months, the Creature lures Victor evernorthward, knowing that the journey and the increasing cold will slowly kill Victor.Victor chases the Creature as far as the Arctic Circle, where he nearly perishes fromstarvation and the cold. But before he dies, he is found by Captain Walton, whorescues Victor and brings him aboard his ship. But Victor has been weakened toomuch by the journey. After telling Walton his strange story, Victor dies. At thatmoment, the Creature appears on Walton’s ship. He suddenly regrets all that hehas done, but also accuses Victor of being partly responsible for all the sufferingand sorrow that has occurred.


The Creature then vows to destroy himself by building a funeral pyre andthrowing himself upon the flames. He flees the ship as Walton watches himdisappear into the ice and darkness.

MAJOR CHARACTERS IN FRANKENSTEIN

Victor Frankenstein: A scientist consumed by a passion to discover and controlthe force that sustains human life.

The “Monster” or “Creature:” The being created by Frankenstein. He is nevergiven a name, neither by his creator, Victor Frankenstein, nor by author MaryShelley. He is a grotesque, eight-foot creature, with a corpse-like appearance.

Alphonse Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein’s wealthy, respected father.

Caroline Frankenstein: Victor’s loving mother.

Elizabeth Lavenza: Adopted child (or “ward”) of Alphonse and CarolineFrankenstein. She and Victor become playmates as children and fall in love asyoung adults.

Henry Clerval: Loyal friend of Victor Frankenstein since childhood.

Robert Walton: Sea captain who discovers Victor near death in the Arctic. Helistens to and writes down Victor’s strange story.

Justine Moritz: Frankenstein family servant falsely accused of the murder ofWilliam.

William Frankenstein: Younger brothers of Victor.

The blind man: And old, blind man named DeLacey who lives with his son anddaughter in a country cottage. He befriends the monster.

Agatha and Felix: Daughter and son of the blind man. When they see the monsterwith their father, they drive the monster off.

Professor Waldman: Victor’s chemistry instructor and advisor.

Professor Krempe: Professor whom Victor dislikes but who gives Victor soundadvice.

Mary Walton Saville: Sister to whom Robert Walton writes his letters, whichinclude an account of Frankenstein’s life. (The initials of the fictional Mrs.Saville, M.W.S., are the same as those of the author of Frankenstein, MaryWollstonecraft Shelley.)


KEY FACTS ABOUT FRANKENSTEIN

Full title: Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus

Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Type of work: Novel

Genre: Gothic, science fiction

Language: English

Time and place written: Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817

Date of first publication: January 1, 1818, anonymously. (Mary Shelley’s namewould not appear on Frankenstein until its third printing in 1831.)

Publisher: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones

Protagonist: Victor Frankenstein

Antagonist: Frankenstein’s monster

(Although some might say that both characters are a combination ofprotagonist and antagonist.)

Setting (time): Late eighteenth century

Setting (place): Geneva, Switzerland; the Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt, Germany;England and Scotland; the Arctic.

Tense: Past

Narrator: The primary narrator is Robert Walton, who, in his letters, quotes VictorFrankenstein’s first-person narrative at length; Victor, in turn, quotes themonster’s first-person narrative; in addition, the lesser characters ElizabethLavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein narrate parts of the story through theirletters to Victor. This is a very unusual and revolutionary writing techniqueemployed by Shelley.

Point of view: The point of view shifts with the narration, from Robert Walton toVictor Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s monster, then back to Walton, with a fewdigressions in the form of letters from Elizabeth Lavenza and AlphonseFrankenstein.

Climax: The murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her wedding to VictorFrankenstein in Chapter 23.

Falling action: After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor Frankensteinchases the monster to the Arctic, is rescued by Robert Walton, narrates hisstory, and dies.

Foreshadowing: Used extensively—throughout his narrative, Victor uses wordssuch as “fate” and “omen” to hint at the tragedy that has befallen him;additionally, he pauses in his recounting occasionally to collect himself in theface of frightening memories.

Tone: Gothic, Romantic, emotional, tragic, fatalistic

Themes: Quest for knowledge; responsibility; prejudice

Symbols: Fire and light


FRANKENSTEIN ON STAGE, FILM AND TV

The art of adaptation

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein has been re-created many, many times overthe years on stage, in movies, and on television. When a book is conveyed inanother form like this, it is called an adaptation.

Writing a novel is hard, but in some ways, writing a movie or a play is evenmore difficult. For one thing, a novel can be any length, but the writer of a movieor play has to find a way to tell the story in about two hours. (Who wants to sit ina theater much longer than that?) Also, the novelist can rely on the reader’simagination to create fantastic places and settings, but a playwright (someone whowrites plays) or a screenwriter (a person who writes movie scripts) has to bemindful of practical ways for the story to be depicted using real actors, places, andthings. Lastly, film and theater are visual arts, and those forms of entertainmentwork best when they use pictures and action to tell a story—as opposed to a novel,which relies solely on words. If you’ve ever read a book and then later saw a moviebased on that book, you probably thought “Why did they leave that part out?” or“Why did they have to change that?” Probably it was for one or more of thereasons stated above.

Frankenstein on the stage

The show you’re about to see is far from thefirst time Frankenstein has been adapted to thelive stage. In fact, it was turned into a play withinfive years of its first publication—in 1826—before anyone even knew that Mary Shelleywrote it!

That play was called Presumption; or the Fateof Frankenstein. (Adaptations often use differenttitles than the books on which they are based.)That play changed many things about the book(but legend has it that Mary herself went to seeone performance; it’s unclear whether or not sheliked the changes.)

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries,Frankenstein was adapted many, many moretimes in England, the United States andthroughout the world. Some of these have beenwith music and singing—a musical—and others have been without music—astraight play, as it’s called in the theater business.

In fact, one play adaptation served as the basis for the most famous movieversion of Frankenstein ever. (Movies aren’t only adapted from books; sometimesthey begin as plays, and some movies are later turned into plays and musicals.)


An illustration of the performers inPresumption; or The Fate ofFrankenstein, 1823

Frankenstein on Film

The most famous film based on Frankensteinwas made in 1931, by Universal Pictures. Simplycalled Frankenstein, it was directed by JamesWhale and starred Boris Karloff. When you seean image of Frankenstein’s monster as having aflat head, bolts in the neck, green skin, orstaggering slowly with arms outstretched, it isderived from the character created in that film.

There have been many, many more moviesmade of Frankenstein—some that mirror thestory of the book closely and others that createcompletely unique stories inspired by the centralideas in the novel.

In fact, one of the first motion pictures evermade—a fifteen-minute film made by inventorand film pioneer Thomas Edison—was based on Frankenstein.

Frankenstein on Television

Frankenstein has also been portrayed on television in the form of movies madespecifically for TV, comedy TV series (have you ever see an episode of “TheMunsters” on TV Land? Does Herman look familiar?), cartoons, and more.


Boris Karloff in the most famousFrankenstein movie, 1931

CREATING THE STAGE MUSICAL FRANKENSTEIN

The primary authors of the stagemusical Frankenstein, Mark Baron(composer) and Jeffrey Jackson(book and lyrics), first met in 1998through a theatrical production intheir native New Jersey. Baron wasthe show’s music director; Jacksonauditioned for and won a featuredrole. The two met again in anotherproduction the following summer.By that time, Baron had been askedby that theater’s producing director,Gary P. Cohen, to collaborate on amusical adaptation of Frankenstein.They invited Jackson to perform the role of Victor Frankenstein in an upcoming“staged reading.” (This is a kind of trial performance of a new play, in which theactors simply sit and speak and sing the show while reading from scripts, usuallywith just a simple piano accompaniment.) Afterwards, Jackson—who was also awriter of screenplays—became a third collaborator.

At first, the version of Frankenstein that Baron, Cohen and Jackson created wasnot very well-received. Looking back, they now realize that “we didn’t go about itwith the proper respect for the source material (Mary Shelley’s book), or with anyunique perspective on it, theatrically,” says composer Mark Baron

The trio trudged on nonetheless, promoting the work tirelessly through CDs,videos, and contest submissions. But by 2006, they had exhausted their creativestamina. They admitted defeat in their quest to bring that version of Frankensteinto the stage, and were about to quit and move on to other endeavors. However,Jackson and Baron decided that they had another try left in them. Jeff had recently“re-read Mary Shelley’s original novel, this time really analyzing it, studying it,dissecting it. I suddenly connected with it in a way that I had missed the first timearound.” He and Baron hatched a new vision for the piece that replaced much ofwhat they had already written in favor of a completely new approach—one thatwas not only more faithful to the novel than they (or anyone else) had been, butone that found new ways of telling a story through musical theater. Cohen, ahorror-film devotee who favored the old version, did not agree with the approach,and so the collaboration of three became two. (Cohen still receives a “storyadaptation” credit for his effort on original, and the three are still friends.)

Then Mark and Jeff set upon the daunting task of “erasing years of work andstarting with a blank canvas,” as Jackson describes it. The two still believed that amusical version of Frankenstein could work and that their new approach was theway to do it. “Shelley’s novel, more than any other work in English literature, hascontinued to speak to generation after generation,” Baron explains. “We finallycame to realize that if we trusted in that, we would stay on the right course.”

Not everything was discarded—some musical highlights were clearly worthsaving—but the entire book (the spoken words) was rewritten. Once workingone-on-one, Jackson and Baron found a creative rhythm that fast yielded fruit.


Hunter Foster as Victor and Steve Blanchard as theCreature in the new Off-Broadway musical versionof Frankenstein

Though Baron is credited as composer and Jackson for book and lyrics, “we eachcontribute things to the other’s work,” says Baron.

Once a draft of the new Frankenstein was ready, Jeff reached out to an oldcontact, Douglas Evans, a theatrical producer he had met years before.

A private staged reading was arranged for Evans and his new producing partnerJerry Goehring in June, 2006. “It ‘sang’ to us,” recalls Goehring of the presentation,describing their positive reaction to what Jackson and Baron had created. Theproducers quickly “optioned” the play (a term that means they entered into acontract with the authors to have the exclusive right to try to produce itprofessionally.) The show enjoyed a public and more elaborate staged reading atNJPAC in October 2006 starring Broadway stars Ron Bohmer and Davis Gaines.

Jackson and Baron used the experience of seeing their show in front of a realaudience to make further changes and rewrites. Director Bill Fennelly, who joinedthe project in summer of 2006, was very helpful to them in that process (one ofthe many, many jobs of a theatrical director.)

Director Bill Fennelly describes Jackson and Baron’s new telling of Frankensteinas “theater of the mind,” borrowing a lyric from the show’s memorable anthem“The Coming of the Dawn.” “Space and time are fluid and the entire story playsout somewhere between reality and the recesses of Victor’s memory,” Fennellyexplains. “It’s very different and unique—and yet still somehow faithful to thenovel and accessible for mainstream audiences.”

This production of Frankenstein is also deliberately “minimal,”with a cast ofthirteen, and orchestra of six, and an “intimate, eerie atmosphere.”

The show you are about to see is the product of a very long and difficult processthat most authors for stage and film must endure if the wish to see their worksucceed one day. This is the first musical that both Mark Baron and Jeffrey Jacksonhave written. The very fact that it is being produced at all is a rare and majorachievement for both men.

Mark and Jeff have many other things besides Frankenstein in common. First ofall, both tried their hand at becoming rock stars, and both had videos on MTV inthe late 1980’s within months of each other (long before they ever met!). They alsoshare the same birthday (November 16th) and are married to actresses that theyeach met while working at the same theater where they, themselves, met.

Their creation Frankenstein opened at almost the exact same time as theBroadway musical comedy Young Frankenstein, a coincidence about which Jacksonand Baron have no qualms. “The two shows aren’t in competition. They couldn’tbe more different,” asserts Jackson. “Mel Brooks’ show is a transfer of his filmspoof of the old Hollywood movies. Ours is a serious take on Shelley’s novel.”

Frankenstein began “previews” (trial performances) at 37 Arts Theater onOctober 10th, and had its official opening night on November 1st. It is directed byBill Fennelly (Jersey Boys, Asst. Director, Lion King National Tour, Director) andstars Hunter Foster (Tony® nominee for Little Shop of Horrors), Christiane Noll(Mambo Kings, Jekyll & Hyde) and Steve Blanchard (Beauty and the Beast) as theCreature.

More information is available on the show’s web site atwww.frankensteinthemusical.com.


THEATER ETIQUETTE

v Flash photography/cameras are prohibited.

v Recording devices are prohibited.

v Sometimes, there are even announcements prohibiting the opening of candy orsnacks wrapped in “noisy” cellophane during the show.

v Turn off your cell phone!

v Avoid having to get up during the show unless it’s absolutely necessary! (Stopin at the restroom beforehand!)

v Quiet during the show! Be aware of the actors on stage and the audiencearound you.

Questions middle grade students may ask…

Why is photography prohibited? Photography, especially flash photography, is adistraction to the actors on stage and the audience around you. There are alsolabor unions and copyright laws that do not allow photography of the actors or thevisual elements of the show including costumes, sets, and projections.

Why are audio and video recording devices prohibited? Recording devices of anykind are prohibited to protect the rights of the show’s creators. A show cannot berecorded in the same way a book cannot be plagiarized. It’s only fair that a show’screators have the exclusive right to record and distribute audio or video copies of ashow.

Why can’t I open a piece of candy during a show? If you don’t think the cello-phane that wraps a hard piece of candy makes any noise, think again! Better yet,try it. In a still and quiet room, open up a cherry (or any flavor) Jolly Rancher andlisten—you’ll know why it is considered very rude to open candy during a per-formance.

Why do I have to turn my cell phone off? A cell phone ringing during a show isabsolutely unacceptable. It is a distraction to the actors on stage as well as theentire audience. Out of respect and courtesy, it is imperative that all cell phones beturned off. If you’re expecting an important phone call during the show, make areservation to see the show on another day!

Why can’t I get up during the show? There is a reason why we have an intermis-sion. Frankenstein has two acts, as do the vast majority of plays or musicals. Eachact is usually no more than an hour. If you have the urge to get up, it is reasonableto ask that you wait until intermission (barring, of course, an emergency). Youwould also be wise to visit the restroom before the show.

Why do I have to be quiet? Being a quiet member of the audience is the best wayto show respect for the performers. Talking or unnecessary noise is unacceptableduring the performance. Remember, when you go to the theater, you are not inyour living room watching TV. Going to the theater requires an added awarenessof and sensibility to the performers in the show and the other audience membersaround you.


VOCABULARY LIST

Choose the vocabulary words appropriate for your class.

curse scorn righteous corrupteddesire dimensions endeavor chargebaron comprehend fate creatormourn tapestry consumption alchemistgallowsp Prometheus wretched plasmasalvation lament proposition malignancybenign design exhibit embracetrepidation modern hovel asylumprevail ardent consolation fantasyconvalescence recollection suspense languidmachinations confess exordium benevolencemurder animate create errorcousin student professor sciencephilosophy human monster creationnightmare obsession delirium journeyelectricity lightning awake alive

Find the definitions of the vocabulary words.

Use the vocabulary words in sentences.

Write a paragraph summarizing the story of Frankenstein using as manyvocabulary words as possible.


FRANKENSTEIN CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Clues are found on the next page.


18

30

22

26

24

21

11

3

13

23

16

12

20

31

17

5

14

36

38

34

10

40

43

35

8

1

28

42

29

39

25

19

37

33

41

32

4

7

9

15

27

2

6

44

CROSSWORD PUZZLE CLUES


ACROSS2 The part of an individual that feels,

perceives, thinks, wills and especiallyreasons

4 Passionate; Glowing

6 Painful and intense fear, dread or dismay

7 Victor's best friend

9 Flame

10 A feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing

11 Victor's younger brother and first to die atthe hands of the Creature

13 To begin to grow light as the sun rises

14 A crying out in grief

15 To pronounce not guilty

17 Frankness; Outspokenness

18 Something proposed for consideration

19 An act of kindness

21 To declare it be wrong; To convict of guilt

25 He created the monster (2 words)

27 To feel or express grief or sorrow

30 To clasp in the arms; To love and cherish

31 To hold in contempt; Disdain

32 Marvel

33 To long or hope for

37 Apprehension

38 An institution for the care of the needy orthe sick and especially the insane

41 Care or responsibility

43 A medieval chemist chiefly concernedwith turning base metals into gold

44 Destiny

DOWN1 A person cheated, fooled or injured

3 Title of Mary Shelly's classic novel

5 To win; Triumph

8 The fluid part of the blood

10 Two upright posts and crosspiece fromwhich criminals are hanged

11 Miserable

12 Falsely accused of William's murder

13 Absence of light

16 A member of the lowest grade of Britishnobility

17 A call on Divine power to send injuryupon

18 Greek who stole fire from Zeus and gaveit to mortals for their use

20 Extreme pain or distress, especially of themind

21 Maker

22 Provided the electricity needed to bringthe Creature to life

23 The hearing and judgment of a matter

24 Try; Attempt

26 Victor's Fiance

28 To desire with expectation of fulfillment

29 To express emotion, especially sorrow byshedding tears

34 To acknowledge one's misdeed, fault orsin

35 To conceive and plan out in the mind

36 A product of the imagination; Illusion

39 Disordered in mind; Insane

40 Soundness of mind

42 A small, wretched, and often dirty house;a hut

P O S T - P E R F O R M A N C E A C T I V I T I E S

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE.

Discuss your impression of the show.

Did you like it?

What musical numbers or scenes were the most powerful?

Did you enjoy the way the characters were portrayed?

Juxtapose Mary Shelley’s novel and Frankenstein, the stage musical.

Was the Creature’s portrayal what you expected?

Was Victor’s portrayal what you expected?

In your opinion, did the musical do justice to Mary Shelley’s plot?

What were some of the things the authors of the musical chose to change orleave out?

Why do you think they made that choice?

In a novel, the author has complete freedom to imagine any time or place. Giventhe limitations of producing a show on stage, how did the musical Frankensteinillustrate passage of time, scene changes and geographical changes?

How was music used to enhance a scene or set the atmosphere?

Discuss the technical aspects of the show; costumes, lights, set, sound, not tomention stage management, marketing and producing. Remember, theseaspects of the show are attended to by designers and crews that are never seenby the audience, but without them, the show would not go on!


FRANKENSTEIN QUIZ

Fill in the blanks...

1. Captain _____________ is the sea merchant that finds Victor Frankenstein whois exhausted and near death.

2. The merchant vessel is on an exhibition to ____________________________.

3. The subtitle of the original novel Frankenstein is ______________________________________________.

4. Victor’s fiancé is _______________________.

5. __________________________ was falsely accused of murdering William.

6. __________________________ is Victor’s father.

7. Victor’s parents adopt ________________________ into the Frankenstein family.

8. The Frankenstein family lived in the city of ___________________.

9. ___________________ is Victor’s closest friend.

10. The Creature learns to speak by listening to ___________________________.

11. Victor Frankenstein attends a university in ________________________.

12. Victor obtains the pieces of the Creature from_________________________________________________.

13. Frankenstein is considered a __________________________ novel.

14. Frankenstein was written by _________________________________ in thesummer of _________.

15. Walton writes letters to _______________________ accounting the details ofVictor’s strange story.

16. Because DeLacey is ____________________ he befriends the Creature withoutjudgement.

17. It is Caroline’s greatest desire to see _______________ and _______________married.

18. Justine is accused of William’s murder because an antique _______________which William was wearing was found in the folds of her dress.

19. The Creature demands that Victor make a mate for him because____________________________________________________________.

20. The Creature meets _____________________ by chance in the forest.

21. ____________________ is first accused of the murder of Henry.

22. ____________________ is the professor at Ingolstadt who first teaches Victor themethods of modern science.

23. After Henry’s death, Victor’s health deteriorates into ___________________.

24. After hearing the news of Elizabeth’s death, __________________ promptly diesof grief.

25. With the death of Victor, the Creature _______________________________ .


DISCUSSION/ESSAY QUESTIONS

Choose the discussion/essay questions appropriate for your class:

Do you believe a scientist has a right to conduct scientific experiments that maylead to outcomes that are considered immoral or unethical? For example, doesa scientist have a right to clone a human being?

As a youth, Victor Frankenstein studies alchemy and the occult. What is alchemy?What is the occult? Does his study of them influence him after he beginsstudying chemistry, anatomy, and other scientific disciplines at the university?

Victor explains his fascination with science in this way: “In other studies you go asfar as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in ascientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.” Do youagandee with Victor? Explain.

Write an essay explaining the characteristics of a Gothic novel. In your essay, tracethe origin of the term Gothic and why it is used to describe a literary genre.Also, give examples of Gothic novels besides Frankenstein and identify whatthey share in common with Frankenstein.

The story of Frankenstein continues to be highly popular today. Scores ofHollywood films center on it, and the Frankenstein mask remains a big sellerbefore Halloween. What accounts for the enduring popularity of this tale?

Who is more monstrous, Victor Frankenstein or the monster he created?

Do you sympathize with the monster or Victor Frankenstein? Why do you thinkmost film versions of the story present the monster as mute or inarticulate?

Victor attributes his tragic fate to his relentless search for knowledge. Do youthink that this is the true cause of his suffering?

Frankenstein has, in the past been included on lists of banned books in some highschools. Like many works of fantasy and science fiction, Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein deals with themes of the potential dangers of misunderstoodknowledge. Think about the technological age in which we live, and discuss theconnection between novels like Frankenstein and the reality of the 21st century.Discuss whether this is what makes censors nervous.


ANSWERS TO THE FRANKENSTEIN CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

2. Mind 4. Ardent 6. Horror 7. Henry 9. Fire 10. Guilt, 11.William, 13. Dawn, 14. Lament, 15.

Acquit, 17. Candor, 18. Proposition, 19. Benevolence, 21. Condemn, 25. Victor Frankenstein, 27.

Mourn, 30. Embrace, 31. Scorn, 32. Wonder, 33. Desire, 37. Trepidation, 38. Asylum, 41. Charge, 43.

Alchemist, 44. Fate

DOWN

1. Victim, 2. Frankenstein, 5. Prevail, 8. Plasma, 10. Gallows, 11. Wretched, 12. Justine, 13. Darkness,

16. Baron, 17. Curse, 18 Prometheus, 20. Anguish, 21. Creator, 22 Lightning, 23. Trial, 24. Endeavor,

26. Elizabeth, 28. Hope, 29. Weep, 34. Confess, 35. Design, 36. Fantasy, 39. Mad, 40. Sanity, 42.

Hovel.

ANSWERS TO THE FRANKENSTEIN QUIZ1. Walton2. The north Pole3. The Modern Prometheus4. Elizabeth5. Justine6. Alphonse7. Elizabeth8. Geneva9. Henry10. The DeLacey family11. Ingolstadt12. Cemeteries13. Gothic14. Mary Shelly, 181615. his sister, Mary Walton Saville16. Blind17. Victor, Elizabeth18. Locket19. He needs companionship20. William21. Victor22. Waldman23. Emotional trauma and sickness24. Alphonse25. Vows to destroy himself


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