Mary Shelley originally intended to title her novel “The Modern Prometheus”. He eventually changed it to Frankenstein in the second publication. "The Modern Prometheus" was retained as an additional title, but Shelley separated it with "o". From the beginning of the novel, the additional title foreshadows Shelley's linking of Frankenstein to the Prometheus myth. The many parallels between Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein and the Greek creation myth of Prometheus become evident both through the plot and through the paternal relationships of the book's characters. The myth of Prometheus involved Zeus' challenge to create humanity. This leads to extreme and prolonged punishment. Prometheus went behind Zeus's back and created a human race from clay. He tricked Zeus into accepting the negative part of the bargain. This pact involved giving the best parts of the sacrificed animals to Prometheus' humans and giving the paltry parts to the gods. Prometheus also stole a piece of Zeus' sun, setting fire to his human race. Zeus became angry at these events and chained Prometheus to a rock on top of a mountain. Zeus condemned Prometheus by dictating that an eagle would come every day for eternity and eat his liver, only for it to regrow overnight. Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus both rebelled against God's pure birth process by nature to create their own life forms. Victor thought that “a new species would bless him as creator and source” (Shelley 58). Prometheus shaped his human race with his bare hands. Victor “found such astonishing power placed in his hands” (Shelley 47). This connection in the emphasis of their hands accentuates their similar subversive acts of defiance. In addition to their similar process... middle of paper... Hercules had a similar impact on Prometheus. Prometheus was condemned to punishment forever, but Hercules eventually freed him from prison. Although both Prometheus and Victor lived in constant and incessant pain, they were mentally and physically freed from their chains. Victor Frankenstein and the Greek myth of Prometheus are revealed as counterparts to each other through the events of the novel and the characters' relationships. Through their creations, Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus both experienced eternal pain as punishment for their acts of rebellion against nature. Victor's monster turned against him and killed everyone he loved, causing him eternal pain. Likewise, Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock for a bird to eat his liver for eternity. Both characters experienced endless pain that connected them to the very root of their existence.