BBC Short Dramas: Frankenstein 9

Mar 092015

BBC Short Dramas: Frankenstein 9 – The wedding night: “I hate you, monster! I hate you! You murdered my wife, Elizabeth and my last chance of happiness! Now I want to kill you!”

Vocabulary:

guest list – names of people who are asked to come to a party
banquet – large formal meal
merry – happy and full of enjoyment
catching up – discussing what happened since the last time you met someone
honeymoon – a holiday for the new husband and wife after the wedding

_______Show Transcript______

TODAY – IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
Hello, I’m scientist Viktor Frankenstein. And I’m here in the Arctic, the end of the Earth, because I’m looking for the Creature which destroyed my happiness. The last time I was happy was… with Elizabeth. Our wedding day was coming…

IN THE PAST – AT THE FRANKENSTEINS’ HOME IN GENEVA

Elizabeth
Let me check the guest list again… How many guests have we planned earlier, Mr Frankenstein?

Viktor Frankenstein’s Father
There were 60, the last time I counted, dear Elizabeth.

Elizabeth
Is the house big enough for all our guests?

Viktor Frankenstein’s Father
Yes, it is, my darling. Invite more people. Let’s have a banquet and plenty of good wine!

Elizabeth
How much wine shall we order? Are two hundred bottles too many?

Viktor Frankenstein’s Father
No. I’ll pay for it all gladly. Nothing is too expensive for my dear son and his bride. Let’s all drink and be merry! It will be a wedding nobody will ever forget! Are you happy, my dear?

Elizabeth
Oh, I’m very happy!

TODAY – IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
It’s very cold here! Well, Elizabeth and I got married on a warm day. There was a lot of catching up with friends. Elizabeth looked so pretty. But I was worried. I got used to walking around with a gun in my pocket. The threat by the Creature was very much alive in my mind…

IN THE PAST

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

TODAY – IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
I didn’t give the monster a bride so it said it would destroy my life. It killed my best friend Henry, my brother William and his nanny Justine was blamed for the boy’s murder… and now it was coming after me. This was in my thoughts when we arrived for our honeymoon at the house we rented by the side of Lake Como in Italy. It was raining heavily…

IN THE PAST – AT A HOUSE BY LAKE COMO, ITALY

Elizabeth
It’s a pity we have to close the windows. The view of the lake is fantastic!

Viktor Frankenstein
Yes. But I’m sure the rain won’t last. Why don’t you go to the bedroom, my darling?

Elizabeth
Aren’t you coming? What are you looking for, dear Viktor?

Viktor Frankenstein
I just want to make sure that everything is alright and we are safe. I’ll go as soon as I do that, my sweet Elizabeth.

Elizabeth
Are you expecting someone?

Viktor Frankenstein
No, darling wife. Go and I’ll join you as soon as I can. I don’t want anything to worry you.

TODAY – IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
I was indeed expecting something to happen: a battle to the death between me and the Creature. I didn’t care if it was too strong for me. I had enough hate in my heart to defeat the monster. I just didn’t want Elizabeth to see the fight. I left the house with my gun and decided to walk around to check if it was there. But all of a sudden, a scream…

IN THE PAST – AT A HOUSE BY LAKE COMO, ITALY

Elizabeth
Ahhhhhhh!

Viktor Frankenstein
Elizabeth! Elizabeth!

INSIDE THE HOUSE

Viktor Frankenstein
My dear Elizabeth! My beloved wife… is dead!!

Creature
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Viktor Frankenstein
You, horrible Creature! I’ll kill you! I’ll put a bullet in your head!

SHOOTING

Viktor Frankenstein
I hate you! I hate you with all my heart! My Elizabeth!

TODAY – IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
William, Justine, Henry and now Elizabeth. There was nothing else for me and… for my father. As soon as he heard that my wife was killed on our wedding night, he fell ill and died heartbroken. And all because of me! I’d thought about telling Elizabeth that I had created a monster. But there wasn’t enough time… After her death I tried to warn others and I was put in a hospital for a while. Nobody believed me… So I decided to put an end to the problem I had created and find the creature at once. The world is not big enough for both of us. I’m still looking for it. I might find it next time.