Hubris and its comeuppance
Also known as: overreach, playing god
The theme that excessive pride or overreaching against natural or divine limits invites downfall.
Hubris and its comeuppance in fiction: 9 works
Victor's overreaching ambition to conquer death brings ruin upon himself and everyone he loves.
Moreau's godlike ambition to reshape nature collapses into savagery and his own death.
Blind faith in the Machine leaves humanity helpless when it fails.
Humanity's recovered knowledge leads it to repeat its self-destruction.
The psychiatrist's attempts to steer Orr's dreams toward utopia unleash catastrophe.
The park's operators' overconfidence in controlling their creations invites disaster.
The park's creators assume they can control life they revived, and nature proves them wrong.
Nathan's certainty that he can contain his creation leads to his death.
Overconfidence in controlling the doll's learning drives the disaster.