If the video doesn’t load please try refreshing the page. If the problem persists make sure you have the latest version of the Flash player or watch the videos on our RecAPP iPhone and iPod application.

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley crafted a plot that captivated millions, and served as the grist for dozens of Hollywood adaptations. But there’s more to Shelley’s story than a mad scientist and his killing machine. Indeed, the plot of Frankenstein haunts in more ways than one.

Video Transcription:

The next time you think you’d like to reanimate deceased human remains, remember what Victor Frankenstein went through.

On second thought, why wait. The plot, after this.

The story of Frankenstein, in two beats:

1. Frankenstein builds a monster

2. Frankenstein’s really, really sorry he built a monster.

OK, that’s an oversimplification. So let’s try this.

1. Young Victor Frankenstein, natural philosopher, seeks—and finds, he thinks—the Secret of Life!
2. He builds his beast out of spare body parts.
3. He brings his beast to life only to realize …

I’VE CREATED A MONSTER

4. He’s about to run home to Daddy—literally!—when he discovers …
5. His brother’s been killed … by the monster.

And therein lies the rest of the story. Frankenstein tries to run from the monster, but he can’t. He tries to save those close to him from the consequences of his actions, but he can’t. He tries to placate the monster by building it a beastly bride, but he can’t bring himself to go through with it. And when Frankenstein decides to take the monster down himself, he’s defeated by the ice and the cold in a frantic dogsled chase toward the North Pole.

The story ends where it began, but with one twist—the surprising revelation of the monster’s remorse for the suffering he’d caused, and the ruin brought by Victor Frankenstein’s lust for knowledge.