Where and when did the literary device of the “Mad Scientist” originate?
We’ve had tales of unhinged people with genius/supernatural gifts which they use to wreak havoc or otherwise do the unexpected dating back to Prometheus.
My WAG as far as the modern prototype of mad scientist with the gleam in his eye and the Tesla coils? Victor Frankenstein. That guy seems to have kicked the whole genre off.
Wouldn’t the isolated, crazed natural philosopher fill that bill? If so it would go back to Prospero in The Tempest and, I’m certain, beyond.
I think Daedalus started it all in Greek mythology
Daedelus wasn’t mad, he just had a bratty son.
I think Victor Frankenstein of the movies filled the bill more than Victor Frankenstein of the book. The true Mad Scientist doesn’t sweat details like morality or personal responsibility.
A related question: Where did the freaky assistant Igor come from? Could it possibly be a Mel Brooks invention?
I always think of Faust as the archetype ‘mad scholar’ who defies the natural order of things in pursuit of knowledge to a tragic end.
Nah. It’s from the famous movie version of Frankenstein and (especially) the sequels.
In the 1931 Universal production of Frankenstein, the doctor’s assistant was a hunchback named Fritz (the one who stole the criminal brain from the university). In the second sequel, the 1939 Son of Frankenstein, a new character appeared – a local graverobber named Igor (played by Bela Lugosi), who befriends the monster. Igor was not hunchbacked but did have a broken neck (from when he was hanged for grave-robbing but survived); Igor returned in The Ghost of Frankenstein in 1942. Popular imagination/memory apparently conflated Fritz with Igor.
It’s pronounced eye-gor
“Hump? What hump?”
To me, Rotwang from Metropolis is the ne plus ultra of mad Scientists. Not sure if he’s earlier than any Frankensteins, but he’s certainly Mad!
…any movie Frankensteins…
I mean
One story had it that Edison disliked Tesla so much that in various films he funded he had them use Tesla and this became the prototypical mad scientist.
Had them use a character like him that is.
Someone mentioned Tesla Coils and Ironically I have read that Tesla was the inspiration for the early Hollywood Mad Scientist.
Keep in mind his experiment and inventions were in the Realm of mad scientist.
The Lightning Experiments at Colorado Springs, Remote Control Torpedoes and trying to sell Death Rays to the military. Wardenclyffe Tower is still largely a mystery.
Tesla even had the “patented” Eastern European Accent.
Jim
Damn Sage Rat, while I am constructing a post with links and examples, you stoled my fire. 
Jim
Muahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhaaahaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!! :d
I’ll see your Rotwang and raise you a Dr. Caligari!
Can you give names to any of these purported films?
Or, cite?