Frankenstein

ACT 1

PROLOGUE: VICTOR’S LABORATORY

Victor Frankenstein imbues the unconscious form of the being he has created with life. Startled by The Creature’s sudden movements and horrified by its physical appearance, Victor runs out of the laboratory. Desperately attempting to follow, The Creature encounters other humans who attack him as he approaches them for help. The Creature finds Victor’s journal in the pocket of the coat he grabbed in the laboratory and tries to make sense of it. Scared of another attack as he hears more humans approaching, The Creature flees, clutching the journal.

SCENE 1: THE COTTAGE

The Creature hides near a cottage inhabited by Felix, Agatha, and their blind father, De Lacey, and watches this loving family with longing. After Felix and Agatha leave, the starving Creature tries to sneak inside the cottage to find food. De Lacey fears the sound of the intruder at first, then shows kindness to The Creature.

SCENE 2: THE HOME OF VICTOR AND ELIZABETH

Victor recuperates from the strain of bringing The Creature to life and is tended to by his fiancée, Elizabeth, who is unaware of the cause of his breakdown. While Victor is briefly distracted by his young brother, William, Elizabeth has a private conversation about her fiancé’s agitated state with Alphonse, Victor’s father. Victor becomes distraught and Elizabeth tries to determine what had happened, but Victor is too traumatized by the memory of The Creature to explain.

SCENE 3: THE COTTAGE

The Creature’s speech, literacy, and understanding grow as he and De Lacey spend more time together, and he resolves to find Victor after learning his name in the journal. De Lacey encourages The Creature to stay and meet his children, but The Creature fears their rejection. Felix and Agatha return and discover The Creature with their father. After attacking The Creature, Felix and Agatha grab De Lacey and run away. The Creature, in despairing rage, destroys the cottage.

SCENE 4: THE FOREST

William becomes separated from Victor, Elizabeth, and Alphonse as they play outside. The Creature, searching for Victor, encounters William. Stirred by the boy’s childish innocence, he pleads with William to be his friend, but William disdainfully mocks him. In an uncontrollable rage, The Creature strangles William. Horrified by what he has done, The Creature runs away as Elizabeth, Victor, and Alphonse return and discover William’s body. The Creature appears in the distance; Victor sees him point to the corpse and realizes that his creation has murdered William. The shocked family grieves. Elizabeth pleads with Victor to comfort Alphonse, but Victor runs after The Creature.

SCENE 5: DEEPER IN THE FOREST

Victor finds and attacks The Creature, who easily eludes him and implores his creator to understand the agony of his existence. He asks Victor to show compassion for his solitary and miserable isolation by creating a companion for him. Victor refuses at first, but is overwhelmed by the depth of The Creature’s misery and by his own responsibility to his creation. Victor agrees to create a mate for The Creature.

ACT 2

SCENE 1: THE HOME OF VICTOR AND ELIZABETH

While Victor has disappeared back into his laboratory, Elizabeth tries to express her despair by writing him a letter. After voicing her true feelings out loud in an impassioned outburst, Elizabeth writes the forcibly calm letter that she will actually send to Victor.

SCENE 2: VICTOR’S LABORATORY

Victor is almost finished building The Creature’s mate and contemplates the consequences of his task. The Creature enters and is enchanted by Victor’s new creation. Victor expresses his doubts to The Creature, who pleads passionately for the gift of a companion to love. Victor is moved by The Creature’s capacity for love, but he destroys the mate out of fear of the increased destruction that the pair of creatures might jointly inflict. The Creature vows to make Victor suffer.

SCENE 3: WEDDING NIGHT  — THE HOME OF VICTOR AND ELIZABETH

Jubilant after their wedding, Alphonse suggests the possibility of Victor and Elizabeth having children. Victor becomes haunted by the thought. Elizabeth pleads with her husband to open up to her. Victor, believing that he is about to be killed by The Creature, finally shares his secret. Elizabeth questions his judgment in creating and abandoning The Creature. Victor leaves to hunt The Creature, who takes the opportunity to talk to Elizabeth. Although she responds to him with compassion, The Creature kills Elizabeth when Victor returns and taunts Victor with a promise of continued suffering. As he flees, he beckons Victor to chase after him.

SCENE 4: THE CEMETERY

Time has passed. Victor is worn down and unwell; he staggers towards the graves of Elizabeth and William and is startled by the appearance of The Creature. As they argue, Victor collapses from a heart attack, reaching for The Creature as he dies. The Creature cradles Victor’s body in his arms, weeping for his father.