The greatest modern stories often come from ancient myths, and Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, is no exception to this statement. Filled with references to John Milton's Paradise Lost and the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, the story of Frankenstein seems, in many ways, very similar to the Creature himself, that is, cobbled together from various scraps of pre-existing parts. Terry W. Thompson, however, persuasively argues that scholars continue to ignore one of Frankenstein's most influential literary antecedents: the Greek hero known as Hercules (Thompson 36). In his article, "'A Majestic Figure of August Dignity': Herculean Echoes in Frankenstein," Thompson goes so far as to list, point by point, the story and character points that align the Creature with the Greek hero. All in all, Thompson makes a compelling argument that demonstrates the interconnectivity of literature. After offering a brief summary of Thompson's article, I will analyze the merits and shortcomings of his arguments before finally demonstrating how his article serves as a useful model for examining the influence of older works of art on older works of art. modern. Thompson begins his article by listing the literary works mentioned by Mary Shelley in her diaries from 1815 to 1816 (36). Thompson captures the story of Hercules contained in Ovid's Metamorphoses - which Shelley, in his diaries, claims to have read - as one of many interpretations of this myth that may have served as part of Shelley's inspiration for the story of Frankenstein (36 ). For most of the article, then, Thompson builds on this initial comparison, noting, for example, that just as Zeus marks the birth of Hercules with a m... in the center of the card... the parallel Creature. another, Thompson convinces the reader that Shelley may actually have drawn on such myths while writing Frankenstein. Although Thompson fails to discuss the differences between Hercules and the Creature – let alone the overall meaning of his argument – ​​his article nevertheless proves to be a useful tool for considering the ways in which different works of art influence each other. The article helps us see how all art is connected, and this understanding of influences allows us to understand culture more fully. Works Cited Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. Thompson, Terry W. “'A Stately Figure of August Dignity': Herculean Echoes in Frankenstein.” ANQ: Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews 17.3(2004): 36-41. MLA international bibliography. Network. October 12 2010.