FRANKENSTEIN

By Mary Shelley

Adapted byFrancis Watson

PROGRAMMA DI SALA AD ESCLUSIVO USO DIDATTICO.SONO VIETATE LA RIPRODUZIONE E LA DIVULGAZIONE

TRAMITE APPARATI FOTOCOPIATORI,SALVO ESPRESSA AUTORIZZAZIONE DI PALKETTOSTAGE.

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l’aspetto terrificante, la creatura si rivela la quintessènza della bontà di cuore e della mitezza d’animo ma, quando si accorge del disgusto e della paura che suscita negli altri, la sua natura subisce una totale trasformazione; egli diviene un’autentica furia distruttiva e dopo molti delitti finisce per causare la morte anche del suo creatore.

Note di regiaFrancis Watson rilegge l’opera di Mary Shelley mantenendosi il più fedele possibile alla scrittura originale. In palcoscenico, il racconto si sviluppa come un grande flashback nel quale Frankenstein racconta all’esploratore Walton la propria storia per metterlo in guardia sui pericoli che si nascondono dietro l’eccesso di ambizione. Uno dei temi che lo spettacolo pone maggiormente in risalto è infatti questo: Frankenstein fin da bambino è spinto da un desiderio bruciante di vincere le leggi della natura e come un moderno Prometeo è alla ricerca della “scintilla della vita”, che invece lo condurrà ad un futuro di dolore e di morti assurde. A questo primo aspetto, la messinscena ne affianca un secondo altrettanto rilevante, quello dell’amore; è l’amore tenero di Frankenstein e della dolce Elizabeth, sentimento che nasce e viene nutrito fin dalla giovane età dei due protagonisti, ma è anche l’anelito di amore che domina l’indole del mostro. L’allestimento scenico è arricchito da illuminazioni, musiche e design che accentuano gli elementi dark e horror dell’opera. Luci e ombre ricreano un’ambientazione “gotica”; la musica, affidata a strumenti acustici, accompagna l’azione calandola in una cornice contemporanea, mentre i costumi richiamano la cultura delle tribù giovanili, dalla moda “steampunk”, che mescola costumi ottocenteschi e tecnologia retrò, allo stile “emo”.

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L’autoreLa scrittrice inglese Mary Shelley nasce a Londra il 30 agosto 1797 dal filosofo William Godwin, uno degli esponenti più importanti del razionalismo anarchico, e da Mary Wollstonecraft, donna forte e determinata, fra i primi personaggi della sua epoca a promuovere i diritti della donna, deceduta purtroppo poco dopo il parto. Appena diciannovenne, dopo una rocambolesca fuga in Svizzera, sposa il poeta Percy Bysshe Shelley, con cui viaggia in Francia, Germania, Olanda e Italia, dove, a La Spezia, Shelley morirà affogato, nel 1822. Dopo la morte del marito, Mary Shelley torna a Londra, dove vive fino alla morte, nel 1851, dedicandosi alla scrittura per mantenere suo figlio, unico sopravvissuto dei quattro nati dal suo amore con il poeta Shelley. La fama dell’autrice è legata al suo primo romanzo Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus e alla cura delle opere del marito, ma compone anche altri lavori, alcuni dei quali precorrono temi tipicamente fantascientifici, come The Last Man, romanzo che narra dell’unico superstite di una terribile epidemia che ha cancellato l’intera umanità; novelle che tuttavia non raggiunsero mai la fama della sua opera prima.

Alcune opereMounseer Nongtongpaw or The Discoveries of John Bull in a Trip to Paris (1808); History of Six Weeks’ Tour through a Part of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland, with Letters Descriptive of a Sail Round the Lake of Geneva, and of the Glaciers of Chamouni (1817); Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (1818); Matilda (1819); Maurice or the Fisher’s Coat (1820); Valperga or The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (1823); The Last Man (1826); The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830); Lodore (1835); Falkner (1837); Rambles in Germany and Italy in 1840, 1842, and 1843 (1844).

La tramaMary Shelley scrive Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus nel 1818, a soli 21 anni, ma l’idea del racconto è antecedente (1816). Nasce quasi per gioco durante un soggiorno estivo con Percy Shelley, John William Polidori e Lord Byron, che propone una competizione letteraria tra i quattro: la stesura di un racconto dell’orrore. Sembra che il personaggio di Frankenstein sia stato suggerito all’autrice da un incubo, ma il soggetto è palesemente ispirato al mito dell’uomo creatore di vita, in cui il prodigio si mescola alle moderne scoperte chimiche e al galvanismo. Il romanzo narra di un giovane svizzero studioso di filosofia naturale che, servendosi di parti anatomiche sottratte a vari cadaveri, costruisce una creatura mostruosa, cui riesce a infondere la scintilla della vita. Malgrado

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CHARACTERS(in order of appearance)

CAPTAIN WALTONVICTOR FRANKENSTEIN

HENRYELIZABETH

JUSTINE WILLIAMFATHER

STUDENT 1, 2, 3ERIC

WALTERCREATURE OLD MAN

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

Scene 1 page 6Scene 2 page 7Scene 3 page 7Scene 4 page 9Scene 5 page 12Scene 6 page 14Scene 7 page 16Scene 8 page 17Scene 9 page 19Scene 10 page 21Scene 11 page 22Scene 12 page 23Scene 13 page 23Scene 14 page 24Scene 15 page 25Scene 16 page 25Scene 17 page 27Scene 18 page 28Scene 19 page 29Scene 20 page 31Scene 21 page 32Scene 22 page 34

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6 7

Walton. This is a starving delirium: you must get on board. Quickly.

Walton reaches out.

Victor. Before I come on board your vessel, would you have the kindness to tell me which way you are bound?

Walton. For God’s sake, this isn’t Oxford Street. We are bound for the North Pole, on voyage of discovery. Now give me your hand.

Victor. Excellent. I will rest now.

He collapses. Walton climbs down onto the ice. It creaks and groans ominously. He picks up the body of Victor. He lays him on a bed.

SCENE 2

Victor in a fever. He dreams.

Victor. William... Justine… Father... Mother... Henry… Elizabeth... Elizabeth!

SCENE 3

On board ship.

Walton. Welcome back. You’re sitting up. Good. You’ve been out for the count of 2 days. I’ve bought you some soup and Brandy. Shall I be mother?

Victor stares at him.

Victor. What happened to my sled?

Walton. Destroyed by the ice. We’re still trapped. It may not break for some days. (Pause.) My name is Robert Walton, explorer and Captain of this dilapidated old hulk.

Victor. Why are you headed North? What do you hope to find there?

SCENE 1

Somewhere near the North Pole. A ship. Captain Walton on deck, with sailors in silhouette. Sound of a storm.

Walton. The storm. It’s growing quiet at last... do you know where we are? Somewhere near the pole? I cannot get a bearing. My compass just goes round and round. I can’t see anything.

He writes in his logbook.

What have I done? It’s been my life long ambition to cross unchartered seas, discover undiscovered lands, to conquer the unknown. I believe we are near the North Pole. I am so close to discovering a passage through these waters and to an undiscovered land on the far side of the pole I know it exists. But now we are lost. We are surrounded by a thick fog and our situation is very dangerous. (The fog begins to clear; the light brightens but an ominous cracking sound begins.) The mist is clearing. Look; in every direction- ice; it seems to go on forever... It has frozen around us. We are trapped.

A dark imposing figure crosses the ice below him. Closely followed by a sled pulled by exhausted dogs.

Walton. A bear! A bear! Where’s my rifle? Stand back. (He takes aim with the rifle.) Good God, who are you? What is going on? Why are you here, out so far?

Victor. To seek one who flees from me.

Walton. I have seen a bear.

Victor. A bear? Which direction, tell me?

Walton. Due North. But quick get on board; the ice is frozen around us. It may crack and crush you; it’s closing in on the boat; that bear will tear you in two.

Victor. A bear! A bear!?

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SCENE 4

Growing up.

Victor. I was born in the beautiful city of Geneva in Switzerland. My father, a magistrate, and mother loved me very much; I had a younger brother William, and a governess Justine. When I was 9 years old my dear Elizabeth came to live with us, the daughter of my father’s best friend. She came to live in our house, when he died. She was very beautiful and I think I loved her from the moment I saw her. I was good pupil, driven by a need to understand things. My temper was sometimes violent. I studied hard, I enjoyed my own company and I did not make friends easily, but I attached myself to one... Henry Clerval.

Henry and Elizabeth play in the garden. Victor sits in the middle reading a book. They are children.

Victor. You had better hurry up there is a storm coming.

Henry. What? No chance. I can see the St. Pierre Cathedral from here- the air’s perfectly clear. I wager 2 francs there will be no storm.

Elizabeth. You do not have 2 francs.

Henry. A minor inconvenience. When I have sailed the seven seas and seized the treasure of bluebeard the pirate I shall have a lot more than that, so now I wager 200 francs there will be no storm.

Rumble of thunder.

Elizabeth. Victor you are so clever. And you, Henry, are a dreamer and an ignoramus.

Henry. Yes you are so clever Victor.

He seizes Victor’s book.

Victor. Give it back Henry. Give it back!

Walton. I seek a course through the ice, to the lands beyond. This expedition may fail but one man’s life or death is a small price to pay for knowledge.

Victor. You are a fool.

Walton. You do not understand.

Victor. I understand all too well.

Walton. Who were you following out there?

Victor. Not who, what! My death. It’s out there. I hope you’ve posted a guard.

Walton. That will not be necessary. If anyone is out there he will freeze.

Victor. Do you wish to die a horrible death?

Walton. Of course not.

Victor. Then arm your men, and set a watch day and night.

Walton. Who shall they watch for?

Victor. Not who, what.(Walton exits, sets the guard, and returns to stand by the door to the cabin.) I was once like you, full of hope and ambition. But I have lost everything. I have only one thing left to finish and it remains out there. The memory of my deeds should have died with me, but you have convinced me otherwise.

Walton. What do you mean?

Victor. I shall tell you my story in the keen hope that your ambition will not sting you as mine has done. You may believe me or not, at your peril. My name is Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein.

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Henry. I won’t let you near me. I’m going to join the Swiss Guard, and ride horses, and fight the English.

He fights with a rolled umbrella. He stabs Victor who plays at dying a horrible death. Rumble of thunder.

Victor (from the floor). See. The storm’s coming. I told you.

Henry. I’m off for reinforcements. (He runs off.) Come on William. (They run off. ) Justine! Justine!

He throws his umbrella to Elizabeth.

Victor. You still owe me 200 francs. (The thunder grows louder. Rain begins. Elizabeth and Victor shelter under the umbrella.) We should go in Elizabeth. It wouldn’t be good for you to be caught in the rain.

Elizabeth. I’m not worried. Please stay for one minute more. I love being outside. Surrounded by the natural world. The dangerous world. What if we were hit by lightning?

She moves closer to him.

Victor. That might hurt.

Elizabeth. What are you reading Victor?

Victor. It’s Cornelius Agrippa… fascinating, truly fascinating… like you… I mean very much… we…

She leans into him and she kisses him tentatively.

Elizabeth. I SEE YOU THERE FROM UNDER MY UMBRELLA A SHY YOUNG MAN A FUNNY KIND OF FELLOW WITH YOUR NOSE IN YOUR BOOKS THEN YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME I FEEL LIKE I’M FALLING FOR

Victor. I SEE YOU THERE IN AMONGST THE ROSE HIPS AND THE LILLIES I KNOW IT’S KIND OF SILLY

Enter Justine the governess.

Justine. Children, where are you?

All. Justine!

They run to her.

Justine.Quick, come inside the house. You’ll catch your deaths out here. The storm is coming. It’s very close. And Henry, give Victor his book back.

She exits.

Henry. Sorry Victor.

He returns the book.

Victor. I just know lots of things... like why the clouds form rain. (He looks up, worried. William enters.) What are you doing here William?

William. I ran away from Justine. We were playing hide and seek. I hid in the library. But she couldn’t find me. I got bored. Will we have lightning? I am afraid.

Elizabeth. What do you think Victor?

William. Yes Victor, what do you think? You know everything about everything.

Victor. Yes, we shall have lighting, and we shall all have to hide under Justine’s skirts! Don’t worry William, we’ll keep you safe.

Elizabeth. I think one day we shall marry.

Henry. Ugh!

Elizabeth. Your mother told me in secret. And she said you will do great things if you work hard. And I shall look after you. And I shall look after William. And I suppose you too Henry, since no one else will want to do it.

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William. Yes father. Thank you father.

Victor. God’s will...

Father. ... Let us pray.

The family pray. Victor does not.

William. Please come and pray with us Victor. Then mother will be happy in Heaven.

Victor. How can you pray? Something in her body caused that to happen. If we knew what that was, we could have prevented it.

Elizabeth (gently). Please Victor.

Victor. Very well. (He prays but reluctantly.) If we knew where the spark of life came from, perhaps we could keep it burning forever- or relight it whenever we needed. When I go university I shall discover these things.

Father. Very well. Elizabeth can walk with me in the woods, Justine can cook apple dumplings. And William, well, he is a gift, a gift of a new life. We shall manage. But study hard, my son.

Victor. She gave her whole life to us. The least I can do is…

Father. My boy. I understand.

Elizabeth. Good luck Victor. Please don’t cry.

Henry. You are lucky Victor- I wish I was going with you. We’ll always be friends. Write soon.

William. Goodbye Victor. Perhaps you will discover a way to bring mother back again.

Elizabeth. Do not talk nonsense! (To Victor.) Write to me soon.

Victor. Goodbye everyone. Be strong Henry, be careful William, don’t be too naughty. Remember, you are my favourite. I will always be thinking of you.

IF I HELD YOUR HAND IS IT JUST THE TOUCH OF FRIENDSHIP OR SOMETHING MORE I FEEL LIKE I’M FALLING THE RAIN IS FALLING FROM THE GREY SKY BUT FLOWERS OPEN THEIR HEARTS HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

Both. IN MY HEART I FEEL THUNDER AND LIGHNING SOMETHING UNCONTROLLED SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE GIVEN WORDS SOMETHING NEW UNBIDDEN BUT WELCOMED LIKE THE FIRST SUNSHINE IN SPRING OR THE LAST RAIN OF WINTER

Thunder and rain. They kiss again, longer.

Victor. Come Elizabeth. My books will get wet.

Elizabeth. Victor!

Victor. We had a happy life. And then, when I was 17, my mother contracted scarlet fever and died.

SCENE 5

Father,Victor, Elizabeth and Henry stand by the mother’s grave.

Father. I shall miss her so much. She was the most beautiful woman. She would have wanted to see you at university, Victor.

William. Why did this happen?

Elizabeth. There has to be a reason; mother died from scarlet fever. You and I had the same fever; we didn’t die.

Victor. I wish I knew the reasons William. I wish I did.

Father. It is God’s will Victor. (He removes locket from mothers body. He kisses her.) She wanted William to have this. (He opens it. It is a musical locket. Gentle playful chimes. He gives the locket to William.) Here William, this will always remind you of her.

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Sung.

FOR BOOKS ARE GOOD BUT THEY HAVE THEIR PLACE HOLDING UP A WONKY TABLE FACTS ARE FUN BUT THEY FADE AWAY WHEN PRESENTED WITH A RACING DAY IT’S KIND OF FUNNY THAT WE’VE GOT MONEY FROM THE FAMILY FUND WITH WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO LEARN OUR LESSONS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LIFE

Student 1. Come on Victor, you are spending all your time studying- you could be out having fun!

Victor. Perhaps you could all just leave me alone!

Student 2. What do you think you’re going to do? Bring your mother back to life? Make her rise up from the grave?

Victor. I believe it’s possible to discover the basis of life. Look at you, at us, so alive! There must be some force which keeps us that way. Look, Galvani’s frog. (He produces a small frog experiment.) With a short injection of electricity we make the frog jump and dance as though he alive. It’s a miracle. Almost a miracle.

Student 3. A frog?

Victor. Have we no hope of possessing that force that animates us? Shouldn’t we devote every possible effort to finding it, so we change this world from the place of pain and suffering it is into...

Student 1. Suffering? Ha! You think if we lived forever, there would be less suffering?

Victor. I’m talking about making the world into a place children can love instead of fear.

Student 2. We’re not children, Frankenstein.

A bell rings. Students run off.

SCENE 6

The train smokes and hisses as it arrives at Ingolstadt University. Victor is surrounded by young animated students, gossiping, celebrating.

Victor. Ingolstadt, Germany. University! At university I was happy. I felt alive. To study so many amazing things- physics, chemistry, biology. I was surrounded by my fellow students as we all had so many things to learn.

Sung.

Victor. THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO COMPREHEND HERE AT UNIVERSITY THE WORDS OF SCIENTIFIC SCHOLARS AND THEIR WAYS OF THINKING

Students. WE SPEND OUR DAYS IN READING WRITING AND EXPERIMENTS GALORE AND PREFER TO SPEND OUR NIGHTS IN DRINKING

Victor. I SHALL BE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS THE GREATEST MINDS IN SCIENCE I SHALL COMPREHEND

Students. WE THINK YOURE A LITTLE COMPLIANT AND WE’LL BE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR FRIENDS (WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET SERVED AT THE BAR) LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO PARROT OUT THE OLD WISE WORDS OF PLATO OR TO COGITATE THE THEORUMS OF DESCARTES WE WOULD RATHER REGURGITATE ANOTHER SLICE OF APPLE TART AND HELP OURSELVES TO THE LAST DEEP FAT FRIED POTATO

Spoken.

Or experiment to see how many pints of beer it takes to make this German girl appear beautiful.

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Walter. Push off.

Victor. Look, I really need your help… Please. As I said I can pay. And you will be aiding the noble sciences. In fact you will be helping a pioneer in the discovery of the very principles of life.

Walter. Posh.

Eric. What kind of articles are you after?

Victor. I have a list.

Eric. A list. What’s on your list? (He reads.) That’s a long list. It might cost a bit.

Victor. It is worth it.

Eric. Well, get it whilst its fresh I say. Let’s start with this one.

They dig up the body they were burying.

Victor. Please, if you could, I also need a room... for my experiments.

Eric. A room? A very private room no doubt. Well for a price anything can be worked out.

Victor. After you.

Eric. No, after you.

Walter. After you.

SCENE 8

Victor’s secret laboratory.Grave robbers enter with another body to add to a growing pile.

Victor is surrounded by body parts, and scientific tools.

Victor (calling after students, angry). We are all children when confronted with the mysteries of nature. My mind is filled with one thought, one purpose; to find the secret of life. I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. (To self, slow realisation of a dark truth.) And to examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. (To audience, urgent and excited.) I visit hospitals to study the diseased and the dying, and I visit graveyards to study the dead.

SCENE 7

Graveyard.2 grave diggers, Eric and Walter; digging holes and a dead body nearby. It is

dark. Victor enters trying not to draw attention to himself.

Victor. Hello! Hello. I am… well, it’s best not to mention any names. I am a gentleman scientist, studying at the university and I am after… after… some articles.

Eric. What’s that! Eh, Walter listen up, e’ wants articles. This isn’t a grocers mate. Sling yer hook. Its not safe for you here, for we are cruel men. The cruel men of Ingolstadt.

Walter. Yeah, cruel.

Victor. That is who I am after, the cruel men of Ingolstadt. And I think you misunderstand me. I can pay.

Eric. Keep yer voice down. People are trying to sleep. Eh, Walter, sleep eh?

Walter. Sleep. The sleep of death.

Eric. You are at the university? Like a professor?

Victor. Not quite a professor just yet.

Eric. Not a professor. Well, our services are catering, specific like, for professors so push off.

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Creature (reaching out its arms toward the sound). N… n…

It grabs Victor by the neck in confusion.

Victor (louder). No.

Creature (stiffly, awkwardly moving toward the sound, toward Victor). N... No. (Smiling.) N… No.

The graverobbers scream and run. Lightning strikes the laboratory. A fire starts. Victor screams and runs from the creature. He falls, the creature in

silhouette, drags itself through the room. It is swallowed in fire and smoke.

SCENE 9

Victor recovers in bed.

Henry. How are you feeling Victor? I know you have been very ill.

Victor. I have? Oh… I feel... OK... just so many bad dreams. I have a terrible headache. What are you doing here in Germany?

Henry. Your father sent me: he was very worried about you. You’ve been working too hard.

Victor. What? My work. My laboratory...

Henry. It was destroyed. By fire. Everything is gone.

Victor. Gone. Are you sure?

Henry. Yes.

Victor (to himself). This is great news. Great News. (To Henry.) Tell me, how is everyone at home?

Henry. Everyone is well. They were worried about you. And I am coming to the university. To study languages. At last my father has agreed.

Victor. Here in my laboratory I can conduct my experiments in secret. Ssshh. Tell no one.

Eric. Don’t worry, not us.

Walter. Not us.

Victor. But the essence of life. Where is it?

The graverobbers are frightened. Victor seems mad with anger.

Eric. I don’t know!

Walter. Me neither!

Victor. I can take apart skin, flesh and bone down to its smallest elements and still I cannot find the secret of life. But what if I could put things back together, and animate them, like a galvanic frog? What if… I could make a man?! (The storm grows louder.) I could build a man; the strongest, tallest, biggest. Most beautiful man ever seen; and I could galvanise him- I could bring him to life with electricity!

Eric (glancing perplexed to Walter). Perhaps…!

Victor (he moves about the laboratory, assembling body parts). I have divined the secret! With the help of the cruel men of Ingolstadt I have my creation. He will be beautiful, and strong and noble. I have my Adam, my beautiful Adam, now I must just wait for nature to do its work. (The figure is complete.) Tonight… with the great storm! I shall bring him to life. All I can do now is wait. (He goes to the creation table. The creature lies there, lifeless, under the sheet. Outside a storm builds. Distant flashes of lightning. The graverobbers watch everything, scared and fascinated. Victor places his hands firmly on the creature’s heart. He opens the window.Thunder, lightning.) Please. Now. God. Please. (Lighting flashes down the strong cables from the roof. The creature, faced wrapped in bandages jerks and pulses. It starts to rise.) Yes. Yes. You are... You are the most beautiful creature ever to. We have conquered death! You and I! No one will suffer. No one will cry. You must see me. You must see the world! (The bandage is off. Victor sees the creature’s face for the first time. It is horrid, grotesque.) No. (The creature stops and listens for the sound, the word it has just heard. It rubs its ears.) No.

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Elizabeth. We’ll take care of you. Justine. Have no fear, sir. (Justine slaps him.) I’m sorry, Mr. Victor.

Victor. Justine?

Justine. Yes, it’s me. (Victor hugs her. To Elizabeth.) You see, just like with babies.

Victor. Is it really gone?

Elizabeth. Who? There’s no one here but us.

He slowly begins to laugh. They laugh, too.

Victor. Gone, gone.

Elizabeth. Sleep now Victor. You are exhausted.

They kiss. He sleeps. Time is frozen.

SCENE 10

The following should feel as though it is both real and happening in Victor’s mind. The monster moves around the frozen bedroom scene.

Creature. Everything was confusion. Sight and sound, smell and touch, all came at once. I struggled to find something fixed, I felt weak. (He has reached the bed.) Then, one sound came louder.

Victor’s voice. No.

Creature. I moved toward it, but it turned me away.

Victor’s voice. No!

Creature. Again I heard it and again I followed.

Victor’s voice. No!

Victor. I am so happy for you.

Henry. I have a surprise for you.

Elizabeth. Victor? Victor, it’s me.

Victor. Elizabeth!

Elizabeth. Justine and I had so much trouble finding this room. But you’re alive. Thank God. I dreamt you were dead. So did your father. It’s been harder than I’d imagined being without you.

Victor becomes ill again. This time it is more serious.

Justine. I’m sorry, miss. I couldn’t wait in the carriage, any more. You’d been so long.

Victor. Who are you? What are you doing here?!

Henry. Victor, it’s Justine.

Justine. It’s good to see you, Mr. Victor. I’m glad you’re all right. Shall I fetch the bags, now? Your mother is smiling in her grave, sir.

She tries to pat him on the cheek.

Victor. Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!

Elizabeth. Victor, what is it?

Victor. Can’t you see? It’s horrid, deformed.

Elizabeth. You’re burning up.

Victor. No.

Henry. Come lie down.

Victor. I’m freezing.

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SCENE 12

Victor. And I was careful. I stayed at university and studied languages with Henry.(We see victor and Henry reunited.) I was a new man. I felt like I had been born again. Slowly I grew happier and stronger. Then one day a letter arrives. It is from my father. William is dead.

SCENE 13

Victor, Elizabeth and father stand and kneel around a small coffin.

Father. My child. He went off to play. When he didn’t return… We looked for him, we found him in one of the caves.

Victor. That child, that sweet, innocent child.

Elizabeth. I’m so sorry.

Father. I keep seeing that beautiful face and those black marks on his neck. Who knew there was monster among us?

Victor. Nooo! (To himself.) … The creature!

Elizabeth. Victor?

Victor. We must find him and tear the heart from his ugly body.

Father. No, Victor. I felt that too. I wanted to tighten the noose and watch the neck snap. But now that they’ve arrested her…

Victor. What? Who?

Father. Justine. Our beloved, trusted Justine.

Creature. But the more I approached it, the more it retreated.

Victor’s voice (fainter). No!

Creature. I longed to call: “Stop! Please. Please! Allow me to touch you... I only want to feel a bit of warmth”.

Victor’s Voice (faintly). Nooo.

Creature. But I knew not how to speak. (The creature drops to his knees by the bed and tries to hold back his tears as the sound of wind and rustling leaves rises.) There was... heat... fire and intense pain... I ran. Then, suddenly I found myself in a cold, dark place filled with so many sounds that I trembled. I was terrified and I ran. Ran until I collapsed. Months passed. I lived in the woods, and forests. I drank from streams. I was scorned by man; I was ugly, despised, assaulted, and rejected. One day in a village I saw a small boy. He looked like an angel. I thought to ask him for help. To be my friend. But he screamed: “Leave me alone. my father is a magistrate he will have you hanged”. I put out my hands to keep the child quiet... across his mouth... around his neck. I took his locket. I did not mean to kill him.

SCENE 11

Victor wakes.

Victor. It’s all right, now.

Elizabeth. You look very sad. I’m thinking of going home to father. You don’t really need me any longer. Henry can stay with you. Make sure you eat until you’ve got your strength back.

Victor. I love you Elizabeth. But you’re right. I’ll be fine here. With Henry. Return home to father. Tell him I have recovered. I will write. I am fine now. I will study, return home successful and perhaps, perhaps then…

Elizabeth. Be careful Victor.

They kiss, it becomes more passionate. Elizabeth pulls away. She laughs.

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Creature. I saw her sleeping in the barn. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. I wanted to hold her. I put the locket in her apron. I wanted to say sorry. It was a gift.

Victor. I’m guilty. (He turns to Justine.) I’m sorry. I can’t help you.

Justine. God forgive me!

The sharp sound of a gavel pounding.

Victor/Creature. I’m sorry.

Voice off. Sentenced to be hanged.

Victor. No one would believe me.

Blackout.

SCENE 15

Victor. I’m going away. I can’t bear to be here.

Elizabeth. But your father? And what about us?

Victor. I can’t explain it Elizabeth. I wish I could. I have a secret. It pulls down on me. Let me go. When I return, then I can explain. I’m sorry Elizabeth. Please look after my father.

SCENE 16

Switzerland. Mountains.

Victor. I packed my bags and went into the high mountains where the wind blew strongly and the rain was cold. I went up higher and higher. The path was steep but I went slowly on. For the first time since Williams death I began to feel happy... and then I saw a figure coming towards me across the ice.

Elizabeth. No. It can’t be. She loved William. She raised him.

Father. I couldn’t believe it either at first. But she was gone the whole night William disappeared. When she returned, she was feverish, in a daze. (He produces the locket.) And then, we found the locket William was wearing when he was killed, the one with the picture of your mother, Victor, in Justine’s apron pocket. She’ll be tried, today.

Victor. She is innocent, father.

Father. I wish it were so. But all the evidence is there.

Victor. She is not the murderer.

Elizabeth. If you’re sure of it, we must go to the court, Victor. We must tell them.

SCENE 14

Justine in prison. The silhouette of a gallows in the background.

Victor. I am the one! I am responsible!

Justine. God bless you, sir, but I have confessed.

Elizabeth. It’s the shock.

Justine. I lost my little boy in the mountains. Something horrible happened but I don’t remember. My poor little boy.

Victor. It was someone else, not you.

Justine. They found me in a fever, almost out of my mind. The locket was in my apron.

Victor. I am the one responsible.

Justine. How could I have wrapped my hands round this poor sweet child’s neck? There must be evil within me. There’s hatred and violence in us all, God knows.

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Creature. Yes, I dare. Like a child. I dare to touch you, you are my father,

you are my mother, you are my maker. I long to touch some other human

being, yet all humanity rejects me, how hideous and ugly I am. I need your

help!

Victor. There is nothing I can do for you.

Creature. I am human! You have created me. You must hear my story.

SCENE 17

The cottage.

The old man, the brother and sister are masked.

Creature. After the confusion at the birth of life, after my escape into the

forests I discovered an old cottage in the middle of nowhere. I was careful

and cautious. I found a place to hide. Three people lived there. An old man,

he was blind. And a brother and sister: they were poor but so happy. They

were noble and generous, charming and kind. The brother and sister would

go out. At the end of each day they returned with some food and they would

read to the old man, in the evenings from books. I watched. I listened. For a

long long time, and I learned many things, I learned how to speak, I learnt

how to think. I learnt how to feel, I learnt how to sing. And slowly I learnt

how to love. But I was lonely and scared... and curious. One day I waited

until the brother and sister had gone out, and entered the cottage.

Old man. Who is there?

Creature. Pardon my intrusion. I am traveller in need of rest. May I sit by the

fire for a few minutes?

Old man. Please, enter. Have a seat. Are you from here?

Creature. I beg you. Be calm, Frankenstein.

Victor. How do you know my name? Who are you?

Sung.

Creature. ON THE RUN AM I A BEAST? AM I AM MAN? AM I HUMAN? WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I? I AM YOU DO I FEEL PAIN? DO I FEEL HAPPINESS? I FEEL ALIVE WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I? I AM YOU

Spoken.

On the first night that you made me, I found an old coat- and in the pocket a diary... And when I could finally read it I understood it was a diary of the creation of a man... and the owner of the diary was a man... the name... Frankenstein. I made a promise to myself.

Sung.

Victor. EVERYONE WITH THAT NAME WAS MY ENEMY YOU ARE A MURDERER YOU ARE A CRIMINAL YOU ARE A SAVAGE YOU ARE ABOMINABLE YOU ARE A DARK SHADOW ACROSS ALL THAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT

Both. I MADE YOU THAT WAY / YOU MADE ME THIS WAY I RENOUCE YOU/ I DENOUNCE YOU DO YOU RECOGNISE ME?/ I DESPISE YOU I AM MORE POWERFUL / YOU ARE DESPICABLE I WAS BORN INNOCENT/ YOU ARE EVIL STAND UPRIGHT AND SHOW THE WORLD WHAT YOU ARE YOU ARE A MONSTER

Creature. I did not mean to kill your brother. I hoped he might become my friend, my saviour. But seeing me, he screamed and shouted. I grasped him by the throat only meaning to stop those curses.

Victor. Murderer! Despicable, evil. You dare to touch me?

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Creature. You must help me! You have brought a child into the world and he is unhappy. Bring another into the world and there will be joy.

Victor. I gave you life. Let that be enough.

Creature. Father. I am alone.

The creature is sobbing; he seems a small, defeated child. Victor is holding him tightly.

Victor. Very well.

The creature breaks away.

Creature. Remember Frankenstein, if you fail me, I shall destroy everyone that you love, and then I shall destroy you.

Silence. Then only the wind in the mountains.

SCENE 19

Victor is alone in the laboratory. He is covered in blood. The bride lies there, lifeless, a sheet over her. Her face is bandaged.

Victor. I rented a room and I began my work again, making a second monster, this time a woman. I have worked day and night without rest. I know the monster was somewhere, watching and waiting. I keep everything a secret from Henry. I am ashamed and despise myself. I hate this work. I am exhausted.

He sleeps. He dreams. He dreams of the creature and the bride waltzing. They kiss. The bride is laid on the bed. The monster approaches.

Creature. Soon, we shall have children. Our children shall fill the world. We shall have vengeance on all who despise us. It will be the death of mankind.

Creature. No. I am on the way to visit some friends. I have no other family. They are my one hope. If they reject me, I shall be an outcast. Forever.

He picks up the children’s toys, two wooden dolls, that look like the brother and sister.

Old man. The hearts of men are filled with love and goodness. Who are these friends, and why should they reject you?

Pause. Outside footsteps.

Creature. You. You and your family. (Suddenly the brother and the sister enter. They see the creature. They scream. She faints. The brother attacks the creature.) No. No. Please. I beg you. I am your friend. I ran away. I ran into the woods. Full of despair... Why does everyone hate me? I swore bitter vengeance on all mankind.

SCENE 18

Victor (terrified). And what happened to the family?

Creature. I was... angry... a hell within me that I could not control. (He produces the dolls, they are broken in two. He throws them from the mountain.) They are dead. I piled firewood around the cottage, and set fire to a dry branch. I sang and danced as the cottage burnt. You cannot give me comfort. But I must have a companion. I cannot go on alone. You must help me. You must create another as deformed as myself.

Victor. Another like you.

Creature. Yes, a bride. You could create such a being.

Victor. No, I cannot. I pity you but I cannot help you.

30 31

She is still. He emits a single, long, deep wail.

Victor. I’m sorry. (The creature looks at him for the first time. In an intense rage he goes to kill him. Henry steps in front of Victor. The creatures strangles Henry. He moves towards Victor.) What have you done? He was my friend. Kill me too.

Creature. No. Why should I relieve you of your suffering? I can snap your neck whenever I wish. I shall let you live for now. You shall be the one with the tormented dreams. When you take your bride and the sheet turns red like this, then we shall find a way. I shall be with you on your wedding night.

Victor. No, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, no!

SCENE 20

Wedding night.

Victor. Elizabeth. I feel so strong now you are here.

Elizabeth. All I want now is some simple happiness and if you can’t give that to me...

Victor. There is no simple happiness, Elizabeth. Terrible things have happened to me, but I do not know a woman more beautiful than you. The terror is not yet over. My life is in danger. Can you marry a man who may soon die?

Elizabeth. If you love me I will marry you. I will make you happy.

Victor. I love you so much. And because of that I say to myself, we should not be wed. Perhaps it is too dangerous. But your love will save me. When we are married I can tell you everything. (They kiss.) I would wait for the monster. He would come when I married. When he appeared I would kill him. And then I could tell Elizabeth my terrible secret.

Wedding music.

A loud knock at the door. Victor suddenly wakes.

Victor (jumps). Go away it is not finished yet. You can’t come in. It will be ready in 2 or 3 days.

Henry enters.

Henry. Victor, I have tickets for the Opera tonight... you’ve shut yourself away for days, and I thought a little light entertainment... What are you doing? I didn’t know you had a laboratory here. What’s that smell? There is blood everywhere.

Victor. Don’t look. Don’t look. No one must know.

Henry. What is this terrible thing? Is it a woman? Is she dead?

Victor. You have found out my secret. If I don’t do it the monster will kill again.

Henry. Monster? What Monster? You are ill Victor.

Victor. No, I see now. I must destroy her. What if they have children? Their terrible children would rule the world. I must destroy her. We must destroy her. Help me Henry. Help me. I am responsible. (He takes out a knife.) Forgive me. Please.

Henry does not move. He is repulsed by Victor.

Henry. Victor. My God!

Lightning. Thunder. Lightning arcs through the cables. The bride sits up. We see the monster outside the laboratory. He laughs demonically. Victor stabs

the bride. A red stain spreads over the sheet. The creature smashes into the room. Henry is paralysed with fear.

Creature. No! She is mine!

Victor. I’m sorry.

Creature (he sees the bloody sheet). No. Nooo! (He rushes to Victor, pushing him from the bride, knocking him to the floor. He clutches the lifeless bride, wrapped in the bloody sheet.) You must live. (He kisses her.) Live. (He kisses her again.) Live.

32 33

The large figure. Ssshh.

She screams. He snaps her neck. He lays her gently on the bed. He withdraws into the shadows and watches. Victor enters. He sees Elizabeth sprawled on the bed.

Victor. Why? Why didn’t I see? Forgive me, Elizabeth.

The creature emerges from the shadows.

Creature. How can she, Frankenstein? She is merely a lump of flesh, now.

Victor (attacking the creature). You...

Creature (holds Victor close to him). I’m sorry. My condolences. Why don’t you bring her back? Then, perhaps, she’ll forgive you. And, then, perhaps, she can become my bride. You can fulfil your promise to me and your wedding vows, both at once.

The creature drops the limp Victor on the ground. Father enters, weeping. He weakly drags himself to the bed.

Father. What is going on, Elizabeth? Elizabeth!

He is in despair. He drops to his knees by the bed. His head rests against the bed as he sobs.

Victor. Father.

Father. My daughter, my darling girl!

Victor. Father?

Creature. Let him have a moment for his own grief before he’s forced to share yours.

Father turns to the voice, he sees the monster. He collapses in shock. He is still.

Victor (alarmed, rushes to him). Father! Father!

SCENE 21

The wedding bed.

Victor. It is a night of great danger, but after this night we will be happy.

Elizabeth. Victor, darling, there’s nothing to fear.

Victor. It’s time. (He produces a pistol. He kisses her.) You are beautiful.

Elizabeth. What are you doing?

Victor. Stay here. I’ll come back soon.

Elizabeth. Where are you going?

Victor. I shall tell you when I come back. I love you. Monster. I am waiting for you. Show yourself.

He exits. She waits. The lights dim as if a cloud has covered the moon. A hand slowly appears. A figure stealthfully enters in the darkness.

Elizabeth. Victor? Victor, is that you? Victor?!

Victor. Ssshh. You must be quiet.

Elizabeth. Oh, Victor, thank God.

Victor. You must be calm.

Elizabeth. I will.

Victor. Good. (Suddenly, a crashing noise. He rushes off.) Now.

Another, much larger, figure glides to the bed. It clasps Elizabeth. She starts to scream.

34 35

A storm rises. The sound of cracking ice booms across the stage.

Victor. My strength fails.

Walton. Victor, look at me, man, look at me!

Victor. Walton. They’re dead. All of them. Father, Elizabeth...

Walton. Victor, that’s behind you. It’s the ice, now. It’s building all around us.Victor... He’s out there.

Creature. You never loved me. I opened my arms and you ran from me. You threw me into the cold.

Walton. He’ll be destroyed. We will all be.

Victor. No. I’ve got to find him. I’m the one who’s got to destroy him.

Walton. You must give up your quest. (A great noise from offstage as the ice mountains begin to crack and crumble.) The ice is breaking! My God I must speak to the Navigator. This may be our chance to escape, or it will crush us all.

Victor. Are you going to return? I cannot leave this monster alive. I cannot. My spirit fails, you must kill it Walton. Please. I have failed. I have failed.

Walton exits. The creature appears over the side of the ship, and approaches Victor. Victor turns. He is too weak to lift his rifle. He cries.

Creature. My father. (Victor stumbles to his knees. He is crying. The creature cradles him like a child. To Victor.) What does it matter if I beg for your forgiveness now. I bid you farewell, father.

The creature cries. A great booming noise from offstage as the ice cracks. Walton returns.

Creature. Now I am happy. I have had my revenge. The rest of your life will be as miserable as mine.

Victor. I shall destroy you. I shall.

He raises his gun.

Creature. You are weak Frankenstein. All men are weak. Follow me if you dare. Our souls are bound together now for eternity.

Sung.

I WAS BORN INNOCENT BUT I WAS MADE EVILI STAND UPRIGHT

AND SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I AMI AM A MONSTER

Victor fires the gun and the creature runs away.

SCENE 22

The lights shift. We are suddenly back on board the boat. Victor, lost in his story has fired the gun on board the boat.

Walton. What are you trying to do? (He grabs the pistol from Victor. Victor has been in a delirium.) Do you want to bring the ice down on us? Do you want the whole ship buried and frozen?

Victor. It was there that my quest began, and it will only be ended when we are both destroyed. Promise me Walton that you will continue my quest. Swear to me; swear that you will kill this monster if you see him.

Walton. I swear. I swear.

Victor (delirious). Don’t let it fool, you. It may look like a man, but it’s demon. I followed its trail for months. But whatever I did, it eluded me. Many times I had thought I had him; and finally it led me here, to the North. I have followed it across the ice.

36 37

Creature. Nothing can compare to my misery. He is dead, he who made me. When I am gone we shall both be forgotten. Honour is gone. Love is gone. Once, in the past, I would have wept to die. Now death is my only, consolation. I shall seek the most northern point, and I shall consume myself and my soul with fire. My ashes shall sink into the waves and my spirit shall be in peace. Farewell.

He leaps overboard. Walton rushes to the edge of the ship but the monster is gone. A song begins.

IN MY HEART I FEEL THUNDER AND LIGHTNINGSOMETHING UNCONTROLLED

SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE GIVEN WORDSSOMETHING NEW UNBIDDEN BUT WELCOMED

LIKE THE FIRST SUNSHINE IN SPRINGOR THE LAST RAIN OF WINTER

As this is sung, Walton climbs above deck and stands alone watching the night sky. A storm rises and in the distance a fire burns.

Walton. Farewell.

THE END

Walton. We are free from the ice- by some miracle... (He sees the creature.) My God! (He raises his rifle. Victor dies. The creature closes Victor’s eyes.) I swore to kill you.

The creature looks up. Walton backs away, keeping the rifle raised.

Creature. If that is what you must do, then do it. I have nothing left to live for.

Walton. He told me a story: is it true? Who are you and of why did you come to be here?

Creature. It is true. But I did not come to kill him. I came to ask his forgiveness. It is too late now. Shoot!

The creature stands with difficulty. Walton, still threatened, loads a bullet into the chamber of the rifle.

Walton. You have come from beyond the pole. Tell me, how are things over there?

Creature. If you are seeking a path across a frozen hell, I can tell you that it is a fool's errand.

Walton. You have definitely been there?!

Creature. There is nothing there but a wasteland and your death if you continue on this journey. Now, please, shoot.

Walton. Do you wish to die?

Creature. Shoot me now. I have nothing left.

Walton. I cannot shoot you. I cannot kill in cold blood. You are defenceless.

Creature. Ah. To discover compassion at the end of my long journey! I cannot thank you for it.

Walton. I cannot tell what is real or illusion anymore. There is nothing beyond the poles. The ice has melted, and I know I won't be able to carry on my quest, my folly. I shall return home... What will you do?

1. Victor visits Graveyards to study the ...................... . 2. Walton says that the ice is ...................... around the boat. 3. Henry joins the ...................... guard. 4. The creature tells Victor that he wants a ....................... . 5. Victor tells the 2 diggers that he is a ................... studying at the university. 6. The creature puts the musical ...................... in Justine's apron. 7. Elizabeth says to Victor: "I think one day we shall ......................". 8. The creature says that he did not mean to kill Victor's ...................... . 9. Walton tells Victor that they are bound to the north ...................... .10. Victor's mother contracted ...................... fever and died.11. The creature says that he lived in the woods and ....................... .12. Father found William dead in one of the ...................... .13. Victor was a good pupil driven by a need to understand ...................... .14. The creature ...................... Henry.

Solution: .................................................................................................................................

1. PUZZLEHow can the creature be described?

Use the text of the play to find the missing words in the 14 sentences below and then put them in the puzzle.

Now read the column under the arrow to find the solution.

ENJOY YOURSELF WITH OUR GAMES!Practical exercises edited by Gianfranca Olivieri

Theatrical Season 2010/2011

Frankenstein

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3

4

5

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8

9

10

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14

SignatureDate

Il Palchetto Stage s.a.s. ai sensi e in conformità con l’art. 13, D. Lgs 30 giugno 2003 n. 196,informa che i dati raccolti saranno utilizzati per informarLa in merito a nuove iniziative.

Send all the original pages by 31/05/2011 to:

IL PALCHETTO STAGE s.a.s., Via Montebello 14/16 - 21052 Busto Arsizio (VA)You’ll receive a nice gift and you’ll have the chance to win a final prize!

FILL IN THE FORM IN BLOCK LETTERS USING A PEN

Surname: Name: F o M o

N.: Address:

Postcode: Town: Province:

Telephone: Mobile:

E-mail:

Date of birth:

School:

N.: Address:

Postcode: Town: Province:

Telephone:

English teacher:

Solution: .......................................................................................

2. RIDDLE

What does life represent for Victor Frankenstein?

Change the first letter of each word in box (A), quoted from the text, to form another word that you can write in box (B). The solution of the riddle will appear in the column under the arrow.

Example: POLE = MOLE

BOX (A) BOX (B)

POLE _ _ _ _

BEAR _ _ _ _

NIGHT _ _ _ _ _

PILE _ _ _ _

FAT _ _ _

HIDE _ _ _ _

HELP _ _ _ _

3. LETTERS AND NUMBERS

What does Victor want to discover? In each of the 13 sentences in box (A), quoted from the text, there is a missing word. Find it in box (B).

Example: 1 One man's life is small price to pay for knowledge = E

BOX (B)

I SIMPLE

E KNOWLEDGE

L DREAMS

F INNOCENT

E MAKER

F GOODNESS

E BEAUTIFUL

N GOD

S PRICE

C SHADOW

S NATURAL

O THINK

E COTTAGE

SENTENCES BOX (A)

1. One man's life is small price to pay for ............................. .

2. I love being outside. Surrounded by the ........................ world.

3. Well for a ................ anything can be worked out.

4. I have my Adam, my ........................ Adam.

5. There's hatred and violence in us all, ........................ knows.

6. You are a dark ........................ across all that is good and right.

7. You are my father, you are my mother, you are my ........................ .

8. I learned how to speak, I learnt how to ........................ .

9. The hearts of men are filled with love and ........................ .

10. You shall be the one with the tormented ........................ .

11. There is no ........................ happiness.

12. I was born ........................ but I was made evil.

13. I discovered an old ........................ in the middle of nowhere.

Now match letters to numbers in box (C) and you'll find the solution.

Solution: .......................................................................................

BOX (C)

1

E

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

KNOWLEDGE

...........................

M O L E

Solution: TO .................................................................................... Solution: ........................................................................................

4. HAVE FUN WITH ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS

What is one of the creature's greatest desires? In the list below there are 14 adjectives, quoted from the text. Write their corresponding nouns on the broken lines.

ADJECTIVES NOUNS

1. HORRID __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

2. BEAUTIFUL __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

3. CLEVER __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

4. SURE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

5. GREAT __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

6. INNOCENT __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

7. GENEROUS __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

8. ASHAMED __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

9. PRIVATE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

10. DANGEROUS __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

11. DRY __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

12. ALONE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

13. WISE __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

14. PAINFUL __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Now read the letters in the circles on the lines below to find the solution.

Sentence: 3 - 1 - 6 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 5

5. A SPOT OF RELAXATION

A message from the creature! There is a hidden sentence around the drawing, written in an unusual way. Find it, starting from one of the letters at the top.

BELO

VE

DALLI

W

A

N

TE

DW A S T

O

TEXT ANALYSIS

1) Where is Victor at the beginning of the story and who saves him?

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2) What does Victor and William’s mother die of?

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3) Who helps Victor to collect parts of human bodies recently buried with which to put the creature together?

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4) Who is charged with William’s death and what is the evidence? Who is the real culprit?

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5) After the “bride’s” death, the creature swears a threatening oath to Victor: what is it?

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6) Elizabeth confides to Victor that she only has one desire: what is this?

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7) When will Victor reveal his secret to Elizabeth?

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8) What is Henry’s job?

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9) Who does the creature meet in the cottage where it found refuge?

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10) Why doesn’t Victor want to create another being like the creature?

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