Published in 1818, is a groundbreaking gothic novel by the English writer . Spanning locales from Geneva and the Swiss Alps to the frozen Arctic, it explores the tragic consequences of hubris and unbridled ambition. The story begins with Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist obsessed with discovering the secret of life. In an attempt to play God, he sets out to create his version of Adam–and winds up breathing life into a monster. While hideous in appearance, the creature, which refers to itself as a "fallen angel," has the ability to feel emotions similar to human beings. Thrust into a hostile world, the nameless creature seeks acceptance and struggles with the pain of rejection, especially from the creator who is now determined to destroy it.
More than the inspiration for an iconic horror movie character. Frankenstein holds immense value today for addressing the ethical boundaries of scientific innovation, which affect fields from genetics to AI. Below are 30+ thought-provoking quotes from the Shelley's classic cautionary tale.
The best quotes from Frankenstein on knowledge and ambition
"How dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.”
"Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries.”
"I was required to exchange chimeras of boundless grandeur for realities of little worth.”
"Sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known or felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!”
"The words induced me to turn towards myself. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches.”
"I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven; for nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose–a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.”
"Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos; the materials must, in the first place, be afforded: it can give form to dark, shapeless substances, but cannot bring into being the substance itself.”
"It seemed to me as if nothing would or could ever be known. All that had so long engaged my attention suddenly grew despicable.”
The best quotes from Frankenstein on creation and destruction
"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
