So, Frankenstein’s monster frequently compares himself to Satan as he is depicted in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. I found this to be an extremely interesting comparison. Both the creature and Satan are typically considered the antagonist of their respective story, but both seem to make this an extremely gray area. Milton was criticized for making Satan too sympathetic. While Satan clearly commits evil acts, his motivations are not entirely unreasonable. For one, Satan allowed humans access to knowledge that God would not allow them. Satan’s line “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” echoes the human notions of freedom and individualism, as well as free will. These are not inherently evil ideas. The creature identifies with Satan, recognizing that he is flawed and that he is banished from ever reaching acceptance into society.
Is the creature identifying with Satan meant to convey that the creature is evil, or is it meant to display the complexity of the creature’s morality? Also, is it really better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven?
I’d like to start this post out with a simple “Ave Satana”, and make the assertion that it would definitely be best to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven, because at least you’re somewhat in charge of your own eternal destiny. I think the creature relates himself to Satan because he finds duality between himself and Lucifer. Because Lucifer “rebelled”, he was cast out. Because the creature is a complex creature that rebels against the nature of being human, he is similarly cast aside by his father. I think his morality is also being commented on because he does have a certain grey morality, similar to how lucifer is portrayed in Paradise Lost.
The comparison between the creature and Satan is really complex. I think the creature is identifying with Satan because they were both outcast of their society and had to find their own way through their troubles. I think what makes it complex is how similar this identification is to Victor’s upbringing and being an autodidact. Victor grew up not knowing that he was wrong in his way of thinking about science. The science Victor knew had been proven incorrect years ago but no one took the time to tell him he was wrong, leading to him thinking he was smart in the field of science but he was incorrect in what he knew. The creature also being self taught, thinks that Satan is kind of a “good” guy while everyone else knows he is trouble. This leads to the creature self identifying with Satan and referring to himself as a devil, which Victor thinks is fitting because he thinks the creature is evil. If the creature knew how people felt about Satan, I don’t think he would continue to call himself a devil.
I think that the reason the creature rdentifies with Satan is because a lot of people see Satan as this demon and foul thing that shouldn’t exist and a lot of people see the monster that way as well. While the monster isn’t really evil in the way that Satan is seen they both are outcasts and both see themselves as misunderstood.
I feel that this displays the complexity of the creature’s morality. He does want to have the freedom to be an individual, freedom comes at a cost. The creature commits heinous acts to achieve his goals of gaining independence and show that he holds all of the power. It may not be worth it to reign over hell if you lose all of your humanity in the process.
I think the creature is compared to Satan for the exact reasons you pointed out. At first glance, both Satan and the creature are thought of as monstrous, evil beings. However, when you look at their motivations and beliefs, their morality becomes blurred. I think it’s very clever, and bold, to point this out using a figure with such infamy as Satan.
When interpreting “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” as a chant for freedom and rebellion, I certainly support the idea. Staying true to yourself is an important quality. However, I wouldn’t use this quote to support an evil person like a murderer. Context is key.
I think the creature identifying with satan wasn’t to show he was evil but to show hes smart and cynical and that he will do what he wants, when he wants, as long as it benefits him. While yes it also could be because he wants to show he is evil, like satan I think he has a deeper meaning to his ways.