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

1.1.1Origins of Gothic Literature

1.1.2Key Ideas in Gothic Literature

1.1.3Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula

1.2Vampires in Gothic Literature

1.2.1Vampires

1.3'Terror' & 'Horror'

1.3.1Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk

1.3.2'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula

1.4Narrative Features

1.4.1First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format

2Context - The Victorian Era

2.1The Victorian Era

2.1.1Fin de Siecle

2.1.2The 'New Woman'

2.1.3The Contagious Diseases Act

3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1.1Chapters 1-2

3.1.2Chapters 3-4

3.1.3Chapters 5-7

3.1.4Chapters 8-10

3.1.5Chapters 11-12

3.1.6Chapters 13-14

3.1.7Chapters 15-16

3.1.8Chapters 17-18

3.1.9Chapters 19-20

3.1.10Chapters 21-23

3.1.11Chapters 24-25

3.1.12Chapters 26-27

4Character Profiles

4.1Archetypal Gothic Characters

4.1.1Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters

4.2Count Dracula

4.2.1Count Dracula: Character Profile

4.2.2Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives

4.3Other Main Characters

4.3.1Jonathan Harker

4.3.2Dr Abraham Van Helsing

4.3.3Dr Jack Seward

4.3.4Mina Harker

4.3.5Lucy Westenra

4.4Minor Characters

4.4.1Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris

4.4.2Renfield

5Key Ideas

5.1Key Ideas

5.1.1Transgression of Boundaries

5.1.2The Supernatural & Un-dead

5.1.3Masculinity & Femininity

5.1.4Science, Modernity & Superstition

5.1.5Madness, Illness & Confinement

6Writing Techniques

6.1Writing Techniques

6.1.1Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice

6.1.2Intertextuality & Cultural References

6.1.3Structure

7Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.1.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.2Modern Reception of Dracula

7.2.1Modern Reception of Dracula

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