For centuries now legends have been told about creatures beyond the ordinary. When someone says vampire these days, people think of a brooding good looking sparkly Edward Cullen, but when I think of one I think of the classic original, Dracula. As, my personal favorite book and one of the most famous classic novels people often wonder how Bram Stoker created his title character. Some think that he created the vampire legend, but that's not true. Dracula was created by the myths of ancient worlds, with some influence from the Romanian Prince Vlad and quite possibly the Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Vlad Dracula Vlad Dracula was born in Sighisoara, Romania in about November or December of 1431, thought this year has never been confirmed. His birth name was Vlad Tepes, and was the second of three sons. His father, also Vlad was appointed vovoide which was the military governor of Transylvania by the time of Vlad’s birth (McNally 25). Vlad Dracula is most famous for his cruel and gruesome tactics of torture and execution which is how he earned the name ‘Vlad the Impaler’. Vlad got the name Dracula from his father, the name Dracula means ‘son of the dragon’.
Web. 23 November 2012. Neyfakh, Leon. “Poe’s Mysterious Death: The Plot Thickens!” observer.com. New York The Observer, 16 October 2007.
Its first mention, in Chapter III, comes when the count tells Harker that “blood is too precious a thing in these days of dishonorable peace; and the -glories of the great races are as a tale that is told.” The count proudly recounts his family history, relating blood to one’s ancestry—to the “great races” that have, in Dracula’s view, withered. The count foretells the coming of a war between lineages: between the East and the West, the ancient and the modern, and the evil and the good. Later, the depictions of Dracula and his minions feeding on blood suggest the exchange of bodily fluids associated with sexual intercourse: Lucy is “drained” to the point of nearly passing out after the count penetrates her. The vampires’ drinking of blood echoes the Christian rite of Communion, but in a perverted sense. Rather than gain eternal spiritual life by consuming wine that has been blessed to symbolize Christ’s blood, Dracula drinks actual human blood in order to extend his physical—but quite soulless—life.
Contributor Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. Bodansky, Yossef.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was written in a time of great change. His story had many interesting themes that where symbolic. According to shmoop.com, blood may be one of the most symbolic themes in the story (shmoop.com). The character, Renfield, says, "I tried to kill him for the purpose of strengthening my vital powers by the assimilation with my own body of his life through the medium of his blood – relying, of course, upon the Scriptural phrase, 'For the blood is the life.” He is referring to the idea that by drinking another’s blood you are able to, in some way, take their vital powers. We can relate this passage to the Christian faith and taking communion.
“How does ‘Shadow of a Vampire’ appropriate the earlier texts of Nosferatu and Dracula and create something new?” Shadow of a Vampire (2000), directed by Elias Merhige, is a film that recreates the making of the 1922 film ‘Nosferatu’. Shadow of a Vampire distorts the reality of what actually went on whilst filming Nosferatu yet appropriates the text to make it entertaining and scary. As Nosferatu is based on Dracula by Bram Stoker, Shadow of a Vampire also becomes an appropriation of this text, mainly using the elements of gothic to create what is essentially a horror movie. An appropriation that adds to the scary nature is the behaviour of Nosferatu director Friedrich Murnau. Murnau’s behaviour is questionable from the early stages of the film.
Constantinescu 1 Paul Constantinescu The Vampire Myth October 17, 2008 Dracula's Effect on Others Bram Stoker's novel Dracula tells the story of the greatest vampire that anyone has ever seen. After Dracula comes to London and preys on Lucy, many people from different worlds come together to finally rid London and the rest of humanity of the Count. In the novel, Dracula interacts with many people, sometimes bringing out their best qualities, yet sometimes bringing out their worst ones. He brings out a sense of responsibility and a sense of protection in some, while bringing out a sadistic side in others. Firstly, the novel begins with a young man, Jonathan Harker, who is on his
[...] Forgiven! God bless you". In the final paragraph of the passage, Van Helsing speaks and endorses once again the role of the clergyman, with a strong reference to marriage "And now, my child, you may kiss her". Here, like many elements in Dracula , the proper order of things is changed: Arthur has symbolically consumed his marriage even before being allowed to kiss the bride. This shows that vampires overturn everything in the Victorian society, altering every concept and values to make them
23 Oct. 2013. "Virtual Mentor." VM. N.p., n.d. Web.