"no one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which i should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world." page

This quote, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, comes from the protagonist, Dr. Frankenstein himself. He is describing the fury that led him to create his monster, how alchemy drove him beyond the normal acceptable limits of human nature. It is a classic example of the "overreacher", as Frankenstein seeks, through science, to transcend the earthly limits of life and death. It must be noted as well that Frankenstein does not attempt this with evil intentions, but almost naively, thinking that he is doing good.