To most people, Frankenstein may be just another gothic horror novel attempting to terrify the reader. But if you look under the surface, you realise that it is so much more than that. Contrary to most other works in the genre, it has a mythical theme that can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Mary Shelley’s primary purpose with Frankenstein was not to scare but to criticise. She uses the characters and the settings in an attempt to make us understand how powerful nature is, thus implying that we should take care of the earth instead of trying to change it for our own benefit. Through Victor Frankenstein we can follow the disastrous consequences of what happens when man tries to control nature and play God. This essay will explore the ways in which Mary Shelley tries to tell us that hubris and manipulating nature only lead to man’s own destruction and also reveal how she, through the use of her artistic genius, paints a picture of how wrong Frankenstein’s deeds really are.