Dracula criticises the conservative nature of the social situation in the Victorian era, as well as the unrefined, superstitious nature of the pre-enlightenment era. An example of this juxtaposition is found in the character of Dr. Van Helsing. Van Helsing’s character juxtaposes the scientific man of the enlightenment era with the superstitious vampire hunter: “We went into the room, taking the [garlic] with us [to keep vampires away]. The Professor’s actions were
Filled with theatrical themes, dramatic irony and symbolism, Dracula acts as much more than a vampire novel. Bram Stoker writes of an assembly of people who have to contract a way to save themselves and others by putting their lives in danger against a resilient vampire. Although society of the time period frowned upon certain behaviors, Stoker managed to get away with writing shocking the social values of a Victorian reader. Through symbolism, Stoker explores female sexual corruption and Christian salvation by contrasting the power of good over evil. Dracula opens with Jonathan Harker, a man who is newly engaged to Mina Murray, traveling to Transylvania on a business trip while telling of his journey through a web of journal entries that last from May to June.
yThroughout the exploration of the module “Texts in Time”, we observe the connections between texts and their reflections of the constancy in human nature, whilst shifting contextual perspectives are maintained. Such a connection is demonstrated in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” (F/stein) and Scott Ridley’s 1991 film “Bladerunner”, where both composers present a cautionary tale, warning us of the implications of science and technological advances on humanity and thus reflecting their own fears in their respective contextual eras. It is through the analysis of such values and implications that we can see the constancy of human nature throughout time. Frankenstein is a gothic inspired, fragmented epistolary, reflecting the rebellion of the Romantic Movement, which advocated the power of imagination, and ones relationship to nature. The gothic convention of sublime nature is represented thematically, through forces of good and evil leading to vengeance and murder, as well as macabre settings of graveyards and charnel houses.
Throughout the development of horror cinema – the figure of the ‘vampire’ has changed and progressed dramatically. When thinking of the ‘classic’ figure of the ‘vampire’ – one of the first that comes to the minds of most is none other than Hammers Dracula (Horror of Dracula; 1958). The stereotypical judgments or thoughts towards the ‘classic’ vampire figure – in this case, Dracula – is most notably known to be from Transylvania. He seduces and lures his victims in order to suck blood for survival and also finding pleasure in the process of his kill. Ultimately, Dracula is portrayed as evil, a threat to society and a menace.
Walpole, from an aristocratic family, a Member of Parliament and owner of an established printing press publishes this novel in 1754. In his literary guise as editor in the first preface, Walpole writes that the novel’s moral is “the sins of the fathers are visited on their children.” The sins Walpole is referring to are basically all related to usurping the Castle of Otranto. These hidden transgressions thus culminate into violence, murder, and deception, in an attempt to secure the castle without being a rightful heir. As a result, the forces of supernatural retribution begin to manifest in fearful apparitions. They serve as warnings to the villain Manfred, who is the king of Otranto.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula It’s very clear to me that Dracula meets the criteria for ‘gothic horror.’ I could give examples of that using all six elements of gothic horror but I’ll use Supernatural, Main Character/Madness, and Evil because I felt they were most important. Supernatural involving otherworldly characters that defy natural laws, Main Character/Madness due to the risk of going mad from the extreme pressures of a threatening situation and evil since there is an atmosphere of fear and dread that evil will prevail over good. The movie starts out in the 15th Century where Dracula a member of the Order of the Dragon is victorious over a battle with the Turks, though many of his men died during battle he prevailed uttering “God be praised! I am victorious!” When Dracula returns from battle his wife, Elizabetta has thought him dead, so she throws herself off her balcony and committing suicide is a horrible sin in Christian faith. It is there that Dracula in a burst of anger stabs the cross, and renounces God and everything pure.
Theresa James English 121 Professor Jesse Stommel Frankenstein Is a Gothic Novel Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 – 1851), a classic occult fiction, was first published in London in 1818 in three volumes. It tells a story of how Dr. Victor Frankenstein creates an artificial man out of fragments of bodies from churchyards, and dissecting rooms – a human form without a soul. The monster longs for love and sympathy but inspires only horror and loathing and becomes a powerful force for evil. It seeks revenge against its creator, murdering his family and friends, also, and bringing death to Victor himself. In the most important aspects of Frankenstein; Frankenstein is compelling in and of itself.
(Establish credibility) I myself have been associated with VAMPIRE since the New York Vampire Riots in 1882. For goodness sake, Dracula was at my wedding. But to get down to the point, there are serious atrocities that need to be addressed! Humans do not seem to understand that vampirism is not a choice, it is a way of life. (Preview Main Points) There are specific issues that I will discuss with you: human’s attitude toward vampirism, their eating habits, and finally their destruction of the planet earth.
Adapted by screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith from his own novel, this movie recasts America's 16th president as a heroic figure whose hatred of slavery intertwines neatly with a lust for vengeance upon the bloodsuckers who killed his mother. Having suffered exactly the kind of early-life traumas required of superheroes, young Abe goes on to save the nation with a facial hair-and-hat arrangement every bit as distinctive as Batman's cowl or Superman's cape. At the centre of all this jolly nonsense is a promising premise about abolitionists fighting vampires in a culture where in the slave trade turns people into raw meat, and in which the sight of rich white Southerners feasting upon their poor black prey is a fleetingly chilling high
Dracula learned all the skills of war and peace that were deemed necessary for a Christian knight. The political situation in Wallachia remained unstable after Vlad Dracula seized the throne in 1436. The power of the Turks was growing rapidly as one by one the small states of the Balkans surrendered to the Ottoman onslaught. At the same time the power of Hungary was reaching its zenith and would peak during the time of John Hunyadi, the White Knight of Hungary, and his son King Matthius Corvinus. Any prince of Wallachia had to balance his policies precariously between these two powerful neighbors.