Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein

Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein is an 1823 play in three acts by Richard Brinsley Peake loosely based on the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. It is the first recorded theatrical adaptation of the novel. The popularity of the play, which was performed thirty-seven times at the English Opera House in the West End during the 1823 season, caused a second printing of Shelley's novel and a proliferation of other theatrical adaptations.

The play marks the first recorded appearance of Victor Frankenstein’s servile assistant character, who is known commonly in pop culture as Igor. Here, the character is named 'Fritz', just as he is named in the 1931 film adaptation. Such a character does not exist in the original novel. Peake also wrote the famous line, "It lives!"

On 29 August 1823, Shelley attended the play in London during its original West End run. It was the only known adaptation of Frankenstein that Shelley saw during her lifetime, and she would write that its success solidified her status as someone "famous."