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Table of Contents
Frankenstein is a gothic novel written by Mary Shelley. It was first published in the year 1818. It tells the story of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who created a monster through a strange scientific experiment.
See the fact file below for more information on the Frankenstein or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Frankenstein worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Background
- It is said that the story came to author Mary Shelley in a dream.
- She wrote the book for a horror story competition that she, Lord Byron, John Polidori, and her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley came up with.
- The first edition of the novel was published in 1818 under an anonymous name.
- The second edition of the book (published in 1923) featured Shelley’s name for the first time.
- Frankenstein’s creation was not named in the book. It was referred to as creature, monster, demon, fiend, and wretch.
Book Summary
- The story starts and is framed by the exchange of Captain Robert Walton and his sister, Margaret Walton Saville.
- During Captain Walton’s voyage to explore the North Pole, his crew stumbles upon an enormous human-like shape and rescues a frozen Victor Frankenstein.
- Victor Frankenstein tells his story to Captain Walton.
- Frankenstein was born in Naples, Italy, and raised in Geneva.
- He has two brothers and an adopted sister, Elizabeth Lavenza, his love interest and, later on in the story, his fiancee.
- Young Victor was interested in chemistry.
- When his mother died of scarlet fever, he coped by keeping busy with his experiments.
- He entered the University of Ingolstadt in Germany and excelled in his studies.
- He developed a process for making non-living beings come alive.
- In an unorthodox scientific experiment, Victor manages to create a hideous humanoid, even though his original plan was to make a beautiful one.
- Victor’s creature escapes and Victor becomes ill.
- Victor’s brother, William, is murdered and Victor knew it was his creation (Frankenstein’s monster) that killed him.
- His nanny is blamed for the murder then executed.
- Victor doesn’t tell anyone of his monster because he thinks nobody will believe him.
- The creature goes back to Victor to ask for a female companion. The creature threatens to kill Victor’s family and friends if he does not grant the request.
- Victor attempts to create a female counterpart while he becomes afraid of the consequences of this next creation.
- When Victor destroys the female creation, the creature becomes furious and kills Henry Clerval, Victor’s friend, and also threatens to get his revenge on Victor on his wedding night.
- Victor and Elizabeth were about to marry when the creature strangles Elizabeth to death.
- Victor’s father dies a few days later because of Elizabeth’s death.
- Victor tries to kill the creature and chases him down. That’s how he ended up on the verge of death in the North Pole before he was found by Captain Walton and the crew.
- At the end of the story, Victor advises Captain Walton to do away with ambition and find happiness in peace instead.
- Victor Frankenstein dies.
- The creature mourns over the death of his creator and vows to kill himself.
About the Main Characters
- Victor Frankenstein is a young scientist who made an ugly, evil creature and regrets it.
- Victor’s creation is also known as Frankenstein’s monster.
- Captain Robert Walton is the captain who found Victor’s body in the Arctic.
- Elizabeth Lavenza is Victor’s adopted sister who later on becomes his fiancee.
- Henry Clerval is Victor’s best friend.
- William and Ernest are Victor’s brothers who were also fascinated with chemistry.
Film
- Multiple films have been made based on Shelley’s novel.
- It is said that Thomas Edison made one of the first horror films based on the novel in 1910.
- The first film was released in 1931 by Universal Pictures by James Whale. Victor was renamed as Henry Frankenstein.
- In 1984, Tim Burton directed the short film Frankenweenie.
- From 1957 to 1969, Peter Crushing portrayed Frankenstein in five of Hammer Films’ movies about Frankenstein: The Curse of Frankenstein, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Evil of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Created Women, and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.
- Made-for-TV films about Frankenstein were also made in 1974, 1992, and 2004.
- In 1999, Alvin and the Chipmunks included Frankenstein in the animated film Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein.
- A film merging Frankenstein and Dracula in one storyline was made in 2004 and entitled Van Helsing.
- In 2007, the movie Frankenstein was headlined by a female character named Victoria Frankenstein.
- The most recent film about Frankenstein was shown in 2015 and entitled Victor Frankenstein.
Other Works
- Frankenstein has also been featured in television, particularly in The World’s Greatest Super Friends (1979), Frankenstein’s Aunt (1986), Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole (2010), Once Upon A Time (2015), and Penny Dreadful (2016).
- Theatre productions such as Frankenstein – A New Musical (2007), Frankenstein (2011), and live musical drama Frankenstein’s Wedding: Live in Leeds (2011) are all based on Shelley’s gothic novel.
- Computer and video games that feature Victor Frankenstein are Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster (1995), Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth.
- A ballet production of Frankenstein was co-produced by The Royal Ballet and The San Francisco Ballet and premiered in 2016 (The Royal Ballet) and then in 2017 (The San Francisco Ballet).
- In 2014, the web series Frankenstein, M.D., replaced the main male characters with female ones. Frankenstein was replaced by Victoria Frankenstein; Elizabeth by Eli Lavenza and Henry by Rory Clerval.
Frankenstein Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Frankenstein across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Frankenstein worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Frankenstein which is a gothic novel written by Mary Shelley. It was first published in the year 1818. It tells the story of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who created a monster through a strange scientific experiment.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Frankenstein Facts
- Draw Frankie’s Monster
- The Gothic Novel
- Who’s Who
- Frankie or False
- Exhibit of Events
- Costume Collection
- Mad Scientist
- Frankenstein Wordplay
- Let’s Play Dress Up!
- Frankenstein the Sequel
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Link will appear as Frankenstein Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 18, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.