My Impression of Frankenstein in Act One

By

Michael Knott

Frankenstein appeared to be a polite, lonesome, dedicated man, fascinated with science in the beginning of act one but as the play progresses he turns into a man who thinks of nothing but his work instead not of others around him.

In the beginning of Act One, Frankenstein was Polite to Clerval and seemed a happy man, devoted with his work, science. Frankenstein obviously never has anybody round to his flat as he only has things like one glass and never has a fire. Towards the end of Act One, his cousin, Elizabeth comes to tell him about his father’s illness. He hadn’t even opened the letters that she had sent him. He becomes agitated because he is at the very key stage of his experiments and doesn’t want to leave it. Elizabeth takes this badly and thinks that Frankenstein doesn’t want to bother with his Dad. Clerval helps Elizabeth across the road to the Inn. Suddenly as the storm breaks out, a huge bolt of lightning hits Frankenstein’s wire and brings his pile of corpses to life. We have learnt by this time that Frankenstein has dug up corpses from the local graveyard.

Frankenstein suddenly realises what he has done and is shocked.

Clervals first impression of Frankenstein is that he is a genius. As Frankenstein tells Clerval that he only has one glass and that he never has a fire, Clerval marvels at the way in which Frankenstein does all this for his work. Towards the end of Act One, Clerval realises that Frankenstein is too devoted to his work as he goes too far and digs up dead bodies. By the end of Act One, Clerval is disgusted with Frankenstein.

Elizabeth is pleased to see Frankenstein at first but then realises that Frankenstein doesn’t want to come ands see his Dad and would much rather get on with his experiments. Elizabeth finally persuades Frankenstein to come back with her the next day and it is left at that as Clerval leads Elizabeth to the Inn across the road.

Act One tells the reader or watcher that Frankenstein is hooked on his work and will stoop to any level to do so. He is polite and has an excellent personality; he has obviously been brought up well, as he never forgets his manners and politeness.