1.2.1
Vampires
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Vampire Literature - The Vampyre: A Tale
Whilst Count Dracula may be the most famous literary vampire, he is by no means the first.
The Vampyre: A Tale
- In 1816, Lord Byron’s physician - John Polidori - accompanied him to Lake Geneva and participated in the famous writing competition that also resulted in Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein.
- Polidori’s novella (a short novel) The Vampyre: A Tale was published in 1819.
- Polidori’s vampyre is Lord Ruthven, who terrorises Aubrey, a young Englishman, marrying and killing his sister.
Arnold Paole's story
- In his introduction, Polidori refers to the real-life story of Arnold Paole - a Serbian soldier in the Austrian army.
- Paole claimed that he was attacked by a vampire. After the vampire bit him, Paole killed it. Feeling cursed, he tried to reverse the effects of the vampire attack by eating soil from the vampire’s grave and smearing himself with the vampire’s blood.
Arnold Paole's story (cont.)
- Paole returned home but soon died from a great fall.
- After his burial, strange reports began to circulate. People claimed that they'd seen Paole in various locations about town and four people reported that he had attacked them. All four victims died soon after.
- Paole’s grave was opened and his body was allegedly found without decomposition, with blood trickling from his lips. He was declared a vampire and his body was staked, decapitated and burned.
Vampire Literature - Carmilla and Dracula: The Un-dead
Serial killer Countess Elizabeth Bathory both influenced Vampire novels and featured as an antagonist in the sequel to Dracula.
Carmilla
- In 1872, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu published Carmilla, giving rise to the oft-cliched portrayal in modern literature of the lesbian vampire.
- The young narrator Laura is preyed upon by the vampire Carmilla. It is believed that Sheridan’s inspiration for his vampire-antagonist was drawn (as was Stoker’s) from Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Dracula: The Un-dead
- Bathory is the antagonist in the official sequel to Dracula - Dracula: The Un-dead.
- The novel is co-written by Stoker’s great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker.
- Bathory was a serial killer who, allegedly, bathed in the blood of virgins in order to retain her youth. The original title of Dracula was The Undead and remained so until just before it was published.
1Context - Gothic Literature
1.1Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature
1.2Vampires in Gothic Literature
1.3'Terror' & 'Horror'
1.4Narrative Features
2Context - The Victorian Era
2.1The Victorian Era
3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
4Character Profiles
4.1Archetypal Gothic Characters
4.2Count Dracula
4.3Other Main Characters
4.4Minor Characters
5Key Ideas
6Writing Techniques
7Critical Debates & Interpretations
7.1Initial Reception of Dracula
7.2Modern Reception of Dracula
Jump to other topics
1Context - Gothic Literature
1.1Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature
1.2Vampires in Gothic Literature
1.3'Terror' & 'Horror'
1.4Narrative Features
2Context - The Victorian Era
2.1The Victorian Era
3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
4Character Profiles
4.1Archetypal Gothic Characters
4.2Count Dracula
4.3Other Main Characters
4.4Minor Characters
5Key Ideas
6Writing Techniques
7Critical Debates & Interpretations
7.1Initial Reception of Dracula
7.2Modern Reception of Dracula
Practice questions on Vampires
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1
- 2Who is Polidori's vampyre?Multiple choice
- 3Who is believed to have inspired the vampire Carmilla?Multiple choice
- 4Which of these are true of _Carmilla_?True / false
- 5Who co-wrote _Dracula: The Un-dead_?Multiple choice
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