Blood and Guts: How Tragedy Illustrates the Necessity of Recognition
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Authors
Dudley, Catherine
Date of Issue
2025-04-25
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
Through the works of King Lear by William Shakespeare and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, I explore what we owe to our fellow human beings. In each work a central character, Edmund of King Lear and the Monster of Frankenstein, illustrate what it means to be outside the norms of society. Both Edmund and the Monster are excluded from society and denied community for things beyond their control. Edmund is rejected for his bastardy, the result of his parents’ actions. The Monster is rejected for his physical appearance, the result of Frankenstein’s folly in using science for self-serving ends. These two characters serve as examples of how rejection and denial of community affect an individual. Both Edmund and the Monster react to rejection by taking violent revenge because they believe they owe nothing to the society that rejected them. The reactions of Edmund and the Monster suggest that we must recognize our fellow human beings’ worth, and strive to include them in community, especially those easy to exclude for their difference from the established norm.