Dracula is the son of Vlad Dracul, the ruler of Wallachia, which is now in present day Romania. His early education, up until the age of seven, was taught many disciplines by the boyar class, which was controlled by his father (Florescu, 1973). They highly educated him, by teaching him many different languages, history, politics, army tactics, and many more (Florescu, 1973). During this time, he was also involved in an apprenticeship for knighthood, which was something that was rather normal for princes of a kingdom at that time (Florescu, 1973). When he turned twelve, though, his father struck a deal with the Turks to earn their trust and respect, while also allowing the Turks to control Dracul, in which he turned over his sons, Dracula and Radu, to be held captive by the Turkish ruler (Florescu, …show more content…
Eventually, the brother, Radu, was released and allow an offer to sit at the sultan’s side, Dracula refused this offer, which resulted in him being tortured and his character to change from that of a normal young boy, into a diamond-like shell of emptiness (Florescu, 1973). Eventually though, he broke, and when he was told he was to be freed, he was offered a position in the army of the sultan, and took it without hesitation (Florescu, 1973). But during the time of this offer, Dracula’s father and brother were both tortured and killed by the kingdom they once ruled, a fact Dracula never learned until much later (Florescu, 1973). During his time a soldier, Dracula used the techniques he learned when being tortured to kill his enemies, the most used technique being impalement. His action led him to take over the throne of his father’s land of Wallachia after he killed the man that took over, Hunyady (Florescu, 1973). It was here that Dracula reined by use of impalement to ensure that his kingdom was fruitful and his people were the best they can
Throughout ‘Dracula’, Stoker presents the idea of ‘foreigner’ through the characterisation of Count Dracula and Professor Van Helsing, who are the two main outsiders in the novel. Dracula, being a supernatural creature, is of Transylvanian descent which makes him such a poignant character. On the other hand, Van Helsing is a Roman Catholic, and is of a Dutch background, which also highlights him as a foreigner within ‘Dracula.’ In this essay I will explore how these two characters are represented and the intention behind the idea of ‘foreigner.’
The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker has plentiful examples of key concepts we have examined in class including: Purity and impurity, magical thinking, strong emotions such as disgust and shame, , formalization, and myth. In this essay I will summarize events that take place within the novel when the protagonists deal with Dracula and then relate these events to the key concepts to demonstrate why the characters view him as dangerous, and therefore something to be avoided completely.
Count Dracula is known throughout the world as the king of vampires, but very few know that he was a real person. The man who made a deal with the Devil for immortality was based on the heroic Walachia prince during the 15th century. His name was Vlad Dracula, which translates to “son of the Devil”, which is where the legend begins. Vlad was born the prince of Walachia in 1431 in Sighisoara, Romania but due to the Ottoman Empire invading Walachia, Vlad, and his brother were handed over to Emperor Sultan Murad II as a ransom. The two boys became captives of the Ottoman Empire in order to make sure that their father would support the Ottomans during their war with Hungary. Dracula was returned in 1448 after his father was assassinated, after
Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, was a member of the House of Drăculești, a branch of the House of Basarab, also known, using his patronymic, as Drăculea or Dracula.
First off, in Stoker’s Dracula the reader’s suspension of disbelief is lower as compared to folklore tales. He is a tall creepy old person when first revealed, but later on in the novel he is shown to be more sinister. This creates a sense of mystery and confusion. Another reason is that he is a well developed antagonist. Often times he outsmarts the main characters creating a sense of suspense and irony because the readers know what is going to happen but the characters do not. But the most important reason of them all is the fact that Count Dracula takes elements from folklore and builds upon it. Stoker uses classic folklore to create a foundation for Dracula, for example; Dracula’s powers give him the ability to live forever, or shapeshift into other creatures as well. They also give him weaknesses such as: holy objects and daylight which mitigates his powers. These powers regularly add to the mysterious tone in the book. Count Dracula climbing down the castle wall upside down or moving slowly across a yard as a cloud of vapor makes the reader question what is happening. He has the ability to control the weather and animals as well. Stoker gives him powers from legend to make him a formidable force in the story. Although his appearance is unpleasant, he is quite the seductive character. He uses this to his advantage when trying to turn Mina and Lucy into vampires. Dracula preys on ‘weaker’ beings in a hierarchical system where he feasts on the women and once the women have turned to vampires, they feed on children. He can also use telepathy to tell where other vampires are, however, this works against him in the final chase of the book. In short his powers are unique and interesting and help to make the Count a powerful
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 Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
In chapter 23, Professor Van Helsing mentions that Count Dracula was in life a “wonderful man,” a soldier, and a statesman, (Stoker, 1897/2001, pp.289). Although Stoker in his original book does not clarify how count Dracula became a vampire, there are references in the text that suggest it was the result of necromancy. In chapter 18, Van Helsing reveals that the Count was a student of alchemy, necromancy, and the occult (Stoker, 1897/2001). He further mentions that Dracula attended the “Scholomance,” a mystical school in the mountains, where the students are tutored by the devil himself (Stoker, 1897/2001; pp. 231). This point is taken further by Montague Summers (as quoted in Laycock, 2009, pp.19-20), through his words- “The vampire is believed to be one who has devoted himself during his life to the practice of Black Magic…”. These references in the book and interpretation in the Laycock’s work, lead to the conclusion that the Vampire-Dracula was the result of his deeds and practices during his lifetime. On the other hand, Cullen was the son of a pastor, who hunted monsters like “…witches, werewolves… vampires” (Meyers, 2005, pp. 331). When the pastor grew old, Cullen assumed the mantle of the monster slayer. Unfortunately, during a hunt, he was bitten by an old vampire he was chasing. After his transformation, Cullen, repulsed by what he had become,
Dracula is a mythical creature designed to wreak havoc on the lives of mortals through the terror and intimidation of death by bite. Vampires are undead beings that kill humans for their blood to survive. Human blood is the vampire’s sustenance, and only way of staying alive. Throughout time, humans have come up with ways to repel vampires, such as lighting jack-o-lanterns on All Hallows Eve, placing garlic around the neck, a stake through the heart, sunlight, etc. Both beings have a survival instinct, whether it be hunger or safety, both are strong emotions. In the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the characters Lucy, John, and Van Helsing strive for survival, therefore killing Dracula.
Little is known of Attila’s early life. Only that most people associate him as being a cruel leade...
Bram Stoker took the legend of Vlad Tepes and used it as an idea for Dracula. He was the ruler of an old country called Wallachia. He is most famous for impaling his enemies on sticks around his castle. He taught himself how to miss vital organs in the body, causing the victim to die a slow painful death. This is why people consider him an ancient vampire. What people don’t know about him is that the rich loved him, but the poor hated him. To anyone that didn’t have to seal to make it by he was great. But to the poor people who couldn’t buy food, they were always in fear of him. He was abused as a child, and this is what is thought to have caused his behavior. (Melton 1053)
From Transylvania to Hollywood, vampires have transformed from unfamiliar, mysterious personalities to one of the most dominant monsters in the horror genre today. Vampires are one of the oldest and most noted creatures in mythology, with many variations of them around the world. Although the most famous version is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, many variants have come before and after telling of the same legend with their own added ideas and modifications to relate to their cultures. Today, there is a multitude of literary and film works that convey and resurface peoples’ fear of vampires. As gothic works like Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire directed by Scott Jeralds share certain traits reflective of the genre;
Over the years people have given new outlooks on the original vampire, Dracula. He was a tall non-attractive looking man who would never come out during the day. Hollywood however has made new vampire stories such as Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries/The Originals that have new ideas of a vampire. These novels/books all have differences, but some still have key characteristics of the original vampire.
Vlad Tepes, which means Vlad the Impaler, is one of the greatest and more interesting figures from history. Vlad II was likely born in a fortress named Sughisiara in the actual Romania in 1431.He was the son of Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracul, since he was a member of the Order of the Dragon, a Christian military order, who was the governor of a place name Wallachia.
Vlad was born in 1431 in Wallachia and raised as a Christian. His father Vlad II, the king of Wallachia, was known as the Dracul or “the dragon”, as being a part of the Order of the Dragon. Which was a Christian military order supported by the Holy Roman Empire. Vlad III took great pride in his father and family and called himself Dracula, meaning “the son of the dragon”. Wallachia, which was on the border of Transylvania and The Ottoman Empire was caught in the middle of many battles between Christians and the Turks. This meant that Vlad II had to have many meetings with the Turks to the south. One of the meetings went bad when Vlad II, Vlad III, and Vlad III’s brother Radu were captured and tortured by the Turks in 1442. The Turks had released their father Vlad II on the condition that he leave both his sons behind. With their father released the two boys were tortured and taught the lessons of the ways of the Turks. They had tried to convert both boys to become Muslim, and while Vlad’s brother Radu had become a puppet of the Turks Vlad had held a great hatred for the Turks and what they had done to him. He disowned his brother and slowly plotted his vengeance against the Turks. While being trapped with the Turks, Vlad had learned very much. He had learned how to fight, lead an army, and be a great ruler. He had also learned, through public execution, his favorite form of killing, impalement.
Over the years people have given new out looks on the original vampire, Dracula. He was a tall non-attractive looking man who would never come out during the day. Hollywood however has made new vampire stories such as Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries/The Originals that have new ideas of a vampire. These novels/books all have differences, but some still have key characteristics of the original vampire.