Session 5

There's another murder and this time Viktor Frankenstein himself is arrested. Plus, find out what you've learnt about subject and object questions from Unit 18 in our weekly quiz

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Activity 1

Drama

Frankenstein: Episode 8 - Jail time

Frankenstein: Episode 8

"I'm Viktor Frankenstein. What have I done? I'm here in jail accused of murder! When will this nightmare end?" What examples of subject questions can you spot in this episode?

The answers are shown in bold on the transcript below the audio.

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TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
Hello. I'm scientist Viktor Frankenstein, here in the Arctic trying to find a monster I've created. I've been having all this trouble with one monster. And to think that I was about to create another one! The Creature threatened me and my family if I didn't make it a bride. Well, it said it felt lonely. There I was on a Scottish island far away working on it: mixing chemicals, sewing flesh and bone together. Then I thought it was madness and destroyed it! But the monster saw me doing it through a window. It was angry! Yes, very angry!

IN THE PAST - AT THE ORKNEY ISLANDS

Creature
How could you break your promise? You have just destroyed my only hope of happiness! Do you think you'll get married and live happily with a wife while I am all alone and sad?

Viktor Frankenstein
Go to hell, you horrible Creature!

Creature
I'll have my revenge. I'll be with you on your wedding night!

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
The threat kept ringing in my ears. Was he going to kill me? Elizabeth would be very upset! A dead husband on her wedding night! These thoughts were going round and round in my head when I collected the body parts of what would be the Creature's bride and put them in a basket. I dragged the heavy basket to my boat and I left the island. I threw the basket into the sea. All of a sudden I felt better. I thought I had done the right thing. And I found myself thinking of my bright future with Elizabeth, my love, and my father, and my good friend Henry. "He must be having fun at this very moment", I thought. I really wanted to join him. But the strong winds took me to a small village on the Irish coast and something strange happened...

IN THE PAST - SMALL FISHING VILLAGE IN IRELAND 

Policeman
What a crowd! Come on. Come on, let me through. Let me through. Go home! Aren't you fishermen? Go fishing! Let the police do their duty!

Viktor Frankenstein
What's going on?

Policeman
You come with me, sir. You have to explain what happened to the man whose body we found.

Viktor Frankenstein
A body? Whose body?

Policeman
A body was found on the beach. The man had been killed. A fisherman says he saw a boat with a single man in it at a short distance from the beach. That boat looked like yours... We'll take you to see the body, Sir.

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
And so they did. Who lost their life? It was Henry! My best friend was killed! I was very upset and I can't remember much of what happened next. I'm told I had to be carried out of the morgue. I had a fever and started saying that I was the murderer of William, Justine and Henry. I was arrested. When they found a letter from home in my pocket, they got in touch with my father in Geneva. He came to help me until I was allowed to go back home.

IN THE PAST - SMALL FISHING VILLAGE IN IRELAND

Policeman
Well, Mr Alphonse Frankenstein, an important piece of information was brought to me. Your son was at the Orkney Islands at the hour the body of Mr Henry Clerval was found. Another fisherman saw him there. Take good care of this young man. He's been saying he's murdered someone called William, and Justine...

Viktor Frankenstein's Father
He's sick. But we'll get back to Geneva where Elizabeth, his bride, is waiting for him. He'll get better.

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
My father was very happy but I was not. Henry was certainly killed by the monster and who knew where this nightmare would end? Sometimes I thought I should tell my father about the Creature, but he might think I was mad. Who'd believe a Creature can be brought back from the dead? Would you? Nobody knew my life was under threat. The Creature could be watching me... I'll tell you about my arrival to Geneva and my meeting with Elizabeth next time. Would we really get married or would the monster kill again? I was afraid, very afraid...

Download

You can download the Drama from our Unit 18 downloads page or from our BBC Learning English Drama podcast page.

Vocabulary

threatened
promised to do something bad to someone

mixing
putting different substances together so that they form a third, new one

sewing
joining things together with a needle and thread

dragged
pulled along the ground

To do

Now check what you know about the drama with this three-question quiz.

 

Frankenstein Quiz

3 Questions

What have you learnt about Frankenstein in our Drama? Test yourself in this quiz.

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So, Viktor Frankenstein decided not to give the Creature a bride, and left the Orkney Islands. But his boat ended up on the Irish coast, where he was accused of murder. In the end he was proven innocent and he was going back to Geneva to marry Elizabeth. But Viktor Frankenstein was not happy. He knew the Creature wanted revenge. What would it do? Find out in the next episode.

Credits

Story adapted and produced by Graciela Damiano

Cast: Peter Kenny, Will Harrison-Wallace, Jonathan Greer, Simon Haynes

Illustration: Carolina Thwaites-Lastra

English Language Teaching consultant: Nicola Prentis

Studio Manager: Philip Bull

Next

Now it's time for the Weekly Quiz. And you don't even have to call your father to help you!

Session Vocabulary

  • threatened
    promised to do something bad to someone

    mixing
    putting different substances together so that they form a third one

    sewing
    joining two things together with a needle and thread

    dragged
    pulled along the ground