MARY SHELLEY’S

FRANKENSTEIN, CHAPTER 5
Adaptation by Nathan Miller

CAST

Victor Frankenstein Nathan Miller

Henry Clerval Joseph Boneham

Ancient Mariner Narrator Huw Gale

SFX Discordant music as bed, quiet. The dripping of water.

Narrator It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment
of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected
the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being
into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the
morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle
was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished
light-

SFX Lightning, electricity sparks. Breathing. Moaning.

Narrator I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a
convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my emotions
at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite
pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in
proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!
Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and
arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth
of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid
contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour
as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled
complexion and straight black lips.

The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of

human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole
purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived
myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far
exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the
dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.

Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed

SFX The moaning, breathing, and fire cut. Running.

Narrator out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber,
unable to compose my mind to sleep. At length lassitude succeeded to
the tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my
clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it
was in vain; I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams.

SFX Everything fades out but the music, which gets louder and more
discordant.

Narrator I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets
of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I
imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of
death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the
corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form,
and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel.

SFX Music stops suddenly, heavy breathing, rustling of duvet.

Narrator I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead,
my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the
dim and yellow light of the moon,
SFX Lightning strike, music starts again, loud. The breaking of wood.

Narrator as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch —
the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of
the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me.
His jaws

SFX Moaning

Narrator opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin

wrinkled his cheeks.

He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out,
seemingly to detain me, but I

SFX Running, door slam. Moaning gets quieter.

Narrator escaped and rushed downstairs.

SFX Rain, loud. Grassy footsteps. Thunder.

Narrator I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited,
where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in
the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each
sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse
to which I had so miserably given life.

Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy

again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I
had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then, but when those
muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing
such as even Dante could not have conceived.

I passed the night wretchedly. Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly

and hardly that I felt the palpitation of every artery; at others, I nearly
sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness. Mingled
with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had
been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become
a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!

Morning, dismal and wet, at length dawned and discovered to my

sleepless and aching eyes the church of Ingolstadt, its white steeple
and clock, which indicated the sixth hour. The porter opened the gates
of the court, which had that night been my asylum, and I issued into the
streets, pacing them with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid the wretch
whom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view. I
did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled
to hurry on, although drenched by the rain which poured from a black
and comfortless sky.

I continued walking in this manner for some time, endeavouring by

bodily exercise to ease the load that weighed upon my mind. I
traversed the streets without any clear conception of where I was or
what I was doing. My heart palpitated in the sickness of fear, and I
 hurried on with irregular steps, not daring to look about me:

SFX Spooky music crescendos. Pirate ship ambience.

Spooky Narrator Like one who, on a lonely road,

Doth walk in fear and dread,
And, having once turned round, walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread.
[Coleridge's Ancient Mariner]

SFX Back to the eerie music and heartbeats, music stops.

Narrator Continuing thus, I came at length opposite to the inn at which the
various diligences and carriages usually stopped. Here I paused, I
knew not why; but I remained some minutes with my eyes fixed on a
coach that was coming towards me from the other end of the street. As
it drew nearer I observed that it was the Swiss diligence; it stopped just
where I was standing, and on the door being opened,

SFX Door opening

Narrator I perceived Henry Clerval, who, on seeing me, instantly sprung out.

Clerval My dear Frankenstein, how glad I am to see you! How fortunate that
you should be here at the very moment of my alighting!

SFX Calming music, birdsongs.

Narrator Nothing could equal my delight on seeing Clerval; his presence

brought back to my thoughts my father, Elizabeth, and all those scenes
of home so dear to my recollection. I grasped his hand, and in a
moment forgot my horror and misfortune; I felt suddenly, and for the
first time during many months, calm and serene joy. I welcomed my
friend, therefore, in the most cordial manner, and we walked towards
my college. Clerval continued talking for some time about our mutual
friends and his own good fortune in being permitted to come to
Ingolstadt.

Clerval You may easily believe, how great was the difficulty to persuade my
father that all necessary knowledge was not comprised in the noble art
of bookkeeping; and, indeed, I believe I left him incredulous to the last,
for his constant answer to my unwearied entreaties was the same as
that of the Dutch schoolmaster in The Vicar of Wakefield: 'I have ten
thousand florins a year without Greek, I eat heartily without Greek.' But
his affection for me at length overcame his dislike of learning, and he
has permitted me to undertake a voyage of discovery to the land of
knowledge.

Victor It gives me the greatest delight to see you; but tell me how you left my
father, brothers, and Elizabeth.

Clerval Very well, and very happy, only a little uneasy that they hear from you
so seldom. By the by, I mean to lecture you a little upon their account
 myself. But, my dear Frankenstein,

Narrator He stopped shortly and gazed full into my face.

Clerval I did not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and pale; you
look as if you had been watching for several nights.

Victor You have guessed right; I have lately been so deeply engaged in one
occupation that I have not allowed myself sufficient rest, as you see;
but I hope, I sincerely hope that all these employments are now at an
end and that I am at length free.

Narrator I trembled excessively; I could not endure to think of, and far less to
allude to, the occurrences of the preceding night. I walked with a quick
pace, and we soon arrived at my college. I then reflected, thinking that
the creature whom I had left in my apartment might still be there, alive
and walking about.

SFX Shivering, short pause. Heartbeat.

Narrator I dreaded to behold this monster, but I feared still more that Henry
should see him. Entreating him, therefore, to remain a few minutes at
the bottom of the stairs,

SFX Quickened footsteps.

Narrator I darted up towards my own room. My hand was already on the lock of
the door before I recollected myself.

SFX Breathing, 2 second pause. Shivering. 1 second pause. Sound of door

being opened forcibly, heartbeat stops.

Narrator I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when
they expect a spectre to stand in waiting for them on the other side; but
nothing appeared.

SFX Footsteps

Narrator I stepped fearfully in: the apartment was empty, and my bedroom was
also freed from its hideous guest. I could hardly believe that so great a
good fortune could have befallen me, but when I became assured that
my enemy had indeed fled, I clapped my hands for joy and ran down to
Clerval.

SFX Clap, sounds of relief, running down wooden steps. Over the narration:
laughter, clapping, sounds of joy.

Narrator We ascended into my room, and the servant presently brought

breakfast; but I was unable to contain myself. It was not joy only that
possessed me; I felt my flesh tingle with excess of sensitiveness, and
my pulse beat rapidly. I was unable to remain for a single instant in the
same place; I jumped over the chairs, clapped my hands, and laughed
aloud. Clerval at first attributed my unusual spirits to joy on his arrival,
but when he observed me more attentively, he saw a wildness in my
 eyes for which he could not account, and my loud, unrestrained,
heartless laughter frightened and astonished him.

Clerval My dear Victor, what, for God's sake, is the matter? Do not laugh in
that manner. How ill you are! What is the cause of all this?

Victor Do not ask me!

Narrator I put my hands before my eyes, for I thought I saw the dread spectre
glide into the room.

Victor He can tell you! Oh, save me! Save me!

Narrator I imagined that the monster seized me; I struggled furiously and fell
down in a fit.

SFX Victor laughing and screaming

Narrator Poor Clerval! What must have been his feelings? A meeting, which he
anticipated with such joy, so strangely turned to bitterness. But I was
not the witness of his grief, for I was lifeless and did not recover my
senses for a long, long time

SFX Fade out

Narrator This was the commencement of a nervous fever which confined me for
several months. During all that time Henry was my only nurse. I
afterwards learned that, knowing my father's advanced age and
unfitness for so long a journey, and how wretched my sickness would
make Elizabeth, he spared them this grief by concealing the extent of
my disorder. He knew that I could not have a more kind and attentive
nurse than himself; and, firm in the hope he felt of my recovery, he did
not doubt that, instead of doing harm, he performed the kindest action
that he could towards them.

But I was in reality very ill, and surely nothing but the unbounded and
unremitting attentions of my friend could have restored me to life. The
form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever
before my eyes, and I raved incessantly concerning him. Doubtless my
words surprised Henry; he at first believed them to be the wanderings
of my disturbed imagination, but the pertinacity with which I continually
recurred to the same subject persuaded him that my disorder indeed
owed its origin to some uncommon and terrible event.

By very slow degrees, and with frequent relapses that alarmed and
grieved my friend, I recovered. I remember the first time I became
capable of observing outward objects with any kind of pleasure, I
perceived that the fallen leaves had disappeared and that the young
buds were shooting forth from the trees that shaded my window. It was
a divine spring, and the season contributed greatly to my
convalescence. I felt also sentiments of joy and affection revive in my
bosom; my gloom disappeared, and in a short time I became as
cheerful as before I was attacked by the fatal passion.

Victor "Dearest Clerval," exclaimed I, "how kind, how very good you are to
 me. This whole winter, instead of being spent in study, as you
promised yourself, has been consumed in my sick room. How shall I
ever repay you? I feel the greatest remorse for the disappointment of
which I have been the occasion, but you will forgive me."

Clerval "You will repay me entirely if you do not discompose yourself, but get
well as fast as you can; and since you appear in such good spirits, I
may speak to you on one subject, may I not?"

Narrator I trembled. One subject! What could it be? Could he allude to an object
on whom I dared not even think?

Clerval Compose yourself!

Narrator Clerval was observing my change of colour.

Clerval I will not mention it if it agitates you; but your father and cousin would
be very happy if they received a letter from you in your own
handwriting. They hardly know how ill you have been and are uneasy
at your long silence.

Victor Is that all, my dear Henry? How could you suppose that my first
thought would not fly towards those dear, dear friends whom I love and
who are so deserving of my love?

Clerval If this is your present temper, my friend, you will perhaps be glad to
see a letter that has been lying here some days for you; it is from your
cousin, I believe."