Superman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Batman; these are some examples of the modern hero. Most call this form of hero a superhero. In the early 19th century, the popular hero of the moment was the romantic hero. Mary Shelly offers a splendid image of this hero in her novel Frankenstein. It uses Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the famous "Frankenstein's Monster" as a character who embodies the traits of a romantic hero. The model was relatively new; however, Christopher Marlowe had written a character in the early 15th century who embodied the same characteristics. These attributes of romance in the form of a hero are seen in both Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus in much the same way. The authors use their respective heroes to show the flaws of human nature and humanity's predisposition to sin using things like obsession, internal battles, and different moral codes. The romantic hero is obsessed with something, and usually this something is harmful to themselves and/or their loved ones. relationship with Christ. Victor is obsessed with two things: one, creating his monster and, two, finding his monster after his life has been destroyed by it. Victor says that “I was so deeply absorbed in my occupation” that he “did not look at the flower or the spreading leaves” that had previously enamored him (Shelly 34). Victor was so obsessed with creating his monster that he didn't even leave his "lair". This obsession led to health problems, isolation from the world and his family, and ultimately the deaths of several people from the monster he had completed. Towards the end of the novel, we see a Victor consumed by the pursuit and slaying of the beast. He vows “to pursue...... middle of paper ......plowed for about three hundred years and different kinds of literature; however, Shelly and Marlowe use the qualities of a romantic hero to demonstrate that human nature is imperfect and that man is prone to sin. They use the “qualities” of obsession, internal battles and different moral codes to convey their message that “bad company corrupts good character”, so to speak, the “bad company” is human beings and their sinful nature, and “good company” is a seemingly harmless quality of a hero (1 Corinthians 15:33). Humanity should take their stories as an example and learn from them, turning to God instead of those things. Works Cited Barker, Kenneth L., ed. Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010. Print.Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. New York: Dover, 1994. Print.Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein. New York, New York: Dover Publications, 1994. Print.