From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot. Literature has seen it's fair share of diabolical villains. All are different, yet all help add to the story in various ways. Arguably no literary villain is as diabolical or complicated as the original Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's gothic classic Dracula. On the surface, Dracula is a common vampire. He posses all the usual traits; sucks blood, turns into a bat, pale with fangs, has no reflection, and is nocturnal. However, digging deeper we see that Dracula is more than a simple vampire in what he represents. In the context of the Victorian age, Dracula represents the dangers of secularism and the departure from christian values. Vampires have always been associated with the Devil, but Stoker takes it one step further. Dracula lives in eastern Europe among gypsies, who have always been mistrusted by the more christian western Europe. Dracula is combated by crucifixes, another example …show more content…
This is similar to a Faustian bargain, selling your soul to the devil for riches on earth. While you do not voluntarily give your soul to Dracula, you still lose it for all eternity. The three "weird sisters" are examples of this, a physical life, but a soulless eternity. When a vampire is killed, there soul is free from its curse. We see this with Lucy, when she is actually killed, and laid back into her coffin with "unparalleled sweetness" and a "holy calm". The same is said for Dracula himself, who is slayed and laid to rest with "a look of peace". The death of vampire represents the salvation of their soul, and when Dracula dies with a look of peace, it shows that even the most wicked of souls can be saved by
In comparison to the modern interpretations of the vampire genre, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is slower in progression, yet deeper in meaning. In modern interpretations of the genre, stories such as Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and The Originals progresses quickly, and vampires are portrayed as redeemable. Contrasting these stories, Dracula progresses sluggishly with Stoker giving too much information throughout the entire novel. Moreover, Count Dracula is seen as an irredeemable, soulless monster. Having been accustomed to the modern interpretations of this genre, Dracula was an extremely dull read. At various points in the story, I expected stronger plot development or suspense, but the story lacked both. Additionally, the story lacked cohesion as the vast imagery and explanations of the character’s internal thoughts contributed nothing to the plot.
According to one view, Dracula, in many ways, can be seen as a “metaphor for human evil.” A vampire’s devil-like characteristics creates a profile representing all the evil that can manifest in human beings. For instance, one common characteristic between vampires and evil humans is Ego-Centrism, when one’s ego acts like a “tyrant”. This kinds of person is self-centered and takes little interest in the desires or needs of others. Dracula illustrates a form of ego-centrism in that his ego is so high that he believes that there’s no spirt or higher authority that he needs to answer to other than himself. He believes that he’s perfect and judges the rest of the world according to his own standards. Another common characteristic between vampires and evil beings is their continuous hunger for power and need to be able to control others so that they can do them as they please. If vampires are an extension of humans, some people may ask how can vampires justify their actions and be able live with themselves after all the bad things they’ve done. The simple answer is they don’t. Vampires, as many evil humans are, tend to be in denial, lying to themselves about who they really are. They know that they would not be able to handle the guilt associated with their sins, such as murder and sucking the blood of others. Therefore, vampires disguise themselves to make themselves appear normal, in
1)In the prologue, Dracula establishes his deep desire and expectations of a lifelong companion. Despite his claims, he says nothing about anything romantic, or full of love. He pictures him and his partner “staring into the black shadows of the mountains.” The adjective ‘black’ and noun ‘shadows’ suggests he wants nothing but impure, sadistic, and wicked love, he wants nothing but macabre. Through his dialogue, he is also presented as a haughty, arrogant, and self-centred being.
Bram Stoker's Dracula has been reviewed and reflected upon in the literary world for it engaging plot and characters as well as it's hidden undertones. As a modern society, pop culture has reshaped the image of vampires and the image of monsters in general. Today media alters the once threatening figure of blood-sucking overpowering beings into personable, even heroic at times with human flaws that make them more relatable to the average person. Movies and TV have make celebrities out of these fearful creatures. However, the classical tropes of vampirism comes from Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel, Dracula (1897).
Dracula by Bram Stoker is the original vampire book, the one that started it all. From it derived the now so beloved and famous teen-romance vampire genre, with novels like Twilight. However, Dracula is not remotely like the sparkle-in-the-sunlight, falling-in-love-with-mortals vampire any more than Harry Potter is like the Wicked Witch of the West. Dracula is a gothic horror novel set in Transylvania and England during the Victorian Era. Letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings from the viewpoint of several characters tell the story, allowing for a wide variety of viewpoints that highlight happenings in Dracula as well as present the social issues pertained within. While it contains action, suspense, horror, and romance, it also displays the corruption within the everyday society. The way the women are presented, interacted with, and how Count Dracula affects them brings forth the issues within the Victorian society, especially the men’s treatment of women and the different social and gender roles, which Stoker uses to highlight the situational irony found within the novel.
"Doing Justice to the complex character of Dracula was one our main goals. He's been portrayed as a monster or as a seducer, but knowing his biography made me think of him as a fallen angel, as Satan...
Dracula is a proud of his lineage. His blood is noble among gypies (criminals) but when placed in comparison to the elite of England, he is considered primitive, “…Dracula's criminality dominates over his noble blood: 'science' assimilates him to a lower type, associating him with animals and 'inferior' human groups” (McWhir 34).
A creature of disturbing wickedness, Dracula is not fulfilled by merely controlling the body of humans, but he also yearns for the domination over the soul of mortal beings. This calls to mind the image of a distinctly anti-Christian vision. The first image of Dracula reinforces the idea that he is not a simple villain but a complex one. As Jonathon Harker ventures to meet Dracula, he witnesses Dracula’s control and mastery of beasts: “How he came there, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still” (pg.11). While we are to believe that Christ gained his power over the environment and its inhabitants through His divinity, we are left to ponder where Dracula may have accumulated his power. While Jesus chose to use his power for good, Dracula’s accumulated power acts as a dark mirror being used for evil.
Dracula, constructed as the “other” is at odds with the “self” or the typical British characters, which is the reason why he must be annihilated. He represents the “other” in two senses; firstly based on his location and secondly based on his non-humane attributes. The space that Dracula occupies,
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a story of horror, suspense, and repulsion. The main antagonist, Count Dracula, is depicted as an evil, repulsive creature that ends and perverts life to keep himself alive and youthful. To most onlookers that may be the case, but most people fail to see one crucial element to this character. Dracula is a character that, though it may be long gone, was once human, and thus has many human emotions and motives still within him. Let us delve into these emotions of a historically based monster.
Dracula by Bram Stoker, is the original vampire book, the one that started it all. From it derived the now so beloved and famous teen-romance vampire genre, with novels like Twilight. However, Dracula is not remotely like the sparkle-in-the-sunlight, falling-in-love-with-mortals vampire any more than Harry Potter is like the Wicked Witch of the West. Dracula is a gothic horror novel set in Transylvania and England during the Victorian Era. The story is told in letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings from the viewpoint of several characters, allowing for a wide variety of viewpoints that highlight happenings in Dracula as well as present the social issues pertained within. While it contains action, suspense, horror, and romance, it also displays the corruption within the everyday society. The way the women are presented, interacted with, and how Count Dracula affects them brings forth the issues within the Victorian society, especially the men’s treatment of women and the different social and gender roles, which Stoker uses to highlight the situational irony found within the novel.
Dracula is a signet classic novel written by Bram Stoker. This novel is portrayed by an antagonist character known as Count Dracula. He has been dead for centuries yet he may never die. He has a peculiar power of hypnotic fascination but he is weak in god’s daylight. He is immortal as long as he is able to drink blood from the living. He can change his form into a wolf, a bat or a puff of smoke. Dracula get in touch with Jonathan Harker through a real estate transaction. He went to Dracula’s castle through a carriage as were planned. After a few days, he felt as if he were prisoned in the castle as his movements were restricted. Meanwhile, Harker has a fiancée named Mina
The characters in Dracula are very Gothic. Dracula is the most important antagonist in the novel. Dracula is a very if not the most interesting Gothic character ever created. He like all vampires casts no shadow and possesses no reflection. Dracula cannot die by the mere passing of time for he is
The Vampire in Dracula threatens the very existence of Victorian England. Stoker constructs the vampire as an embodiment of threat by surpassing his Gothic novelist predecessors to bring the threat of the Gothic home to Victorian England (Arata 119). This in turn crosses the boundary between what is foreign and what is national; and dually East and West. Dracula is open to many
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different