Monsters have haunted humankind since the beginning of our history, reflecting the fears and values of the society which they originate. From cave paintings to the latest horror blockbuster, monsters exist most clearly in stories. Storytelling is a tool to process our fears, and monsters give us a way to represent and examine these fears. This thesis will examine five fears and how they have manifested in monster tales throughout history, providing context for each. These fears are as follows: fear of nature, fear of the sacred (religion), fear of science, fear of others and fear of ourselves. An accompanying screenplay will follow each section to demonstrate how monsters draw upon these fears and how stories allow audiences to work through them.