Publication details
The First Adaptations of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Hradec Králové Journal of Anglophone Studies |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://pdf.uhk.cz/hkjas/pi/pi_5-2-2018.php |
| Keywords | Shelley; Frankenstein; adaptations; Gothic servants; comic effects |
| Description | Abstract: This paper discusses the early adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for the nineteenth century stage. Shortly after its publication, Frankenstein inspired a series of dramatizations, starting with R. B. Peake’s melodrama Presumption; or, The Fate of Frankenstein (1823), followed by a number of more or less successful works. As some critics believe, these adaptations shaped the perception and popular conceptions of the work. The adaptors introduced a number of alterations in the plots of the plays, most importantly the minor character of a nervous, cowardly, and talkative laboratory assistant, Fritz, who contributed to the popularity of these adaptations and played multiple roles in the plot development. Apart from providing comic relief following the tradition of Gothic servants, such as Sancho Panza or Leporello, Fritz introduces Frankenstein to the audience and presents necessary background information, thus substituting for the first-person narratives and descriptions of the setting in the novel. |