This was not the first time I had read Frankenstein. Still, it was the first time that I read it diligently enough to catch on to the themes of alchemy, specifically the reference to the Philosopher stone and the elixir of life. I’m not going to lie when I read over this passage “My dreams were therefore undisturbed by reality; and I entered with the greatest diligence onto the search of the philosopher and the elixir of life.” (Shelly, p.23) where these items were mentioned my mind was kind of blown. I had never heard either of these terms used outside of the Harry Potter books before so to say I was surprised to learn that these are actual objects that have been studied throughout time was a shock to my system, to say the least. 

    The Philosophers Stone is a substance that could turn any metal such as iron, tin, lead, zinc, nickel, and copper into metals like gold and silver (Pruitt, 2018). It is said to come in a variety of substances ranging from anything from powder to red and white stones. The white stone is said to be a more immature version only being able to turn metals into silver, while the red can change them into gold. The history of this stone is said to date back to biblical times where Adam received the knowledge of it from God. According to the legend it was passed down to biblical patriarchs through the years. This stone was also mentioned in connection to the Temple of Solomon (Psalm 118). However, the first written account of the Philosopher’s stone was found to be c. 300 CE in Cheirokmeta by Zosimos of Panopolis. From the Philosopher’s stone, it was said that the elixir of life or the elixir of immortality could be created. The elixir of life is a potion that is said to give its drinker immortality, as well as cure any disease. If you believe the legend that it was passed to biblical patriarchs it would explain the longevity of their lives. 

    Both the Philosopher stone and the elixir of life have been studied by alchemists for centuries as alchemy is the study of finding ways to transmute metals, prolong life, and even create life (cough cough Victor Frankenstein). The history of alchemy goes all the way back to Egyptians and their beliefs of life, death, immortality, and mummification, as well as the Arabs and their beliefs of transforming metals into noble metals which they then brought to Spain. However, the height of alchemy came with both the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment period. 

The historic periods shaped the way Shelly created this story as the Enlightenment period was a time where philosophy and intellect dominated Europe and the Scientific Revolution shined a light on biology, mathematics, physics, astronomy, and chemistry. Using these major scientific advances Shelly integrated them into Frankenstein by making it the foundation of Victor’s character. We learn very early on about Victor’s love of natural philosophers such as Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus despite the criticism he receives for enjoying their works. These philosophers were monumental figures in alchemy science outside of this novel, making it very obvious that Shelly had outside influence from these scientific movements. These initial philosophers Victor fell in love with as an adolescent shaped the actions he would do later in life. When reading through Frankenstein Shelly really just name drops the Philosopher’s Stone and the elixir of life and moves on with the story, yet I think this is such a turning point within the story. This is where Victor’s fascination with alchemy goes from something he reads about and studies to something real. After he mentions the stone and elixir he begins his work on creating the creature and challenging life and death. With both the stone and the elixir there is a lot of worry about the soul not being complete if you are to create life using these methods and I think that is also really emphasized throughout the story. Victor views his creation as a soulless monster which aligns with the theories and worries that alchemists used to discuss. Shelly uses these objects in order to foreshadow and really create a foundation for this story. She integrates the science and philosophy of the time into a work of fiction and storytelling. Maybe this is Shellys way of theorizing what could happen if these real scientific and philosophical theories were to become real? Regardless I think the mentioning of these objects was extremely important for the structure of the story and can be overlooked if not engaging in the reading. 

                        References 

“Elixir of Life.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elixir_of_life.

Nobes, Patrick, et al. Frankenstein. Oxford University Press, 2008.

“Philosopher’s Stone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Oct. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher%27s_stone.

Pruitt, Sarah. “What Was the Philosopher’s Stone?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 25 Sept. 2015, http://www.history.com/news/what-was-the-philosophers-stone.