Good Vs. Evil In Dracula By Bram Stoker

990 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Good and evil in the history of literature

Good vs. Evil Dracula, written by Bram Stoker is a Gothic horror novel. Stoker is an Irish author known for the publication of Dracula in 1897. A serious theme in Dracula is god against evil. Dracula appears to be living but he is an undead monster. Dracula feeds on human blood to survive. Dracula is evil because he feeds off of the most weak and vulnerable characters. In addition, he has many other powers. Including: communication with animals, transform into animals, and control the weather. Jonathan Harker was the first to be revealed to Dracula’s evil and strange behavior. The way Dracula dresses expresses his personality. "He was very pale, and his eyes seemed bulging out as, half in terror and half in amazement, he gazed at a tall, …show more content…

Iconography is used numerous amounts of times and most of tools/instruments which feature in the novel are related to Gothicism. The crucifix is the main barrier which separated ‘slaves’ at the time, good from the evil. One example that took place early on in the novel was when Jonathan Harker cut himself with a razor in Dracula’s castle, Dracula then pounces on him a soon as he looks at the blood, as soon as he notices the crucifix around Jonathans neck, he leaves the room. "When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away, and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there"(28).
The crucifix in the story is a symbol that Christianity is another them in this novel. The evil forces are terrified of the crucifix, they disappear at the very sight of it. For it represents what is pure and god. The Devil or in this case Dracula hates what it represents so he tries to get rid of all signs of it. Whenever Lucy puts the crucifix on her neck Dracula always tries to tear it off. The crucifix is a weapon the men used against the vampires. "The man was simply fastened by his hands, tied one over the other, to a spoke of the wheel. Between the inner hand and the wood was a …show more content…

Both Victorians and Dracula preform excruciating acts of violence, but each group has their standards and circumstances. Dracula takes human life in order to better his own self. Dracula impales his teeth into the flesh of Lucy. Lucy’s husband out of love drives a stake through her heart so that she can rest in peace. Dracula was very evil and had many tricks. Dracula promised eternal life of the flesh of his victims, freeing their souls. These obligations and circumstances of the characters help Bram Stoker differentiate between which is good and which is evil. Dracula, who represents the evil, shows all 7 of the deadly sins. His greed, lust, pride, and wrath lead Dracula to commit acts of evil. For example, Dracula’s evil pursuit involves Dr.Sewards patient Reinfield. Dracula knows he is insane so he takes advantage of him. Reinfield starts to believe e is some kind of lord or his master. Dracula lures him with false promises. As soon as Reinfield starts to trust Dracula because of all the treats and promises, Dracula abuses his trust. "The blood is the

Show More
Related

  • Belief Systems and Gender Roles in Dracula

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    The crucifix and the empty cross are symbols of fear, loathing and danger to Dracula. There is a certain irony here as the cross is the ultimate symbol of redemption to all Christians. Sin or rather the dark side of humanity's turning from God is recognized and can be redeemed by coming to the cross. The cross is also a symbol of resurrection. The resurrection is the gift of eternal life through Christ to which all Christians can aspire. This is opposed to the Un-Dead nature of Dracula. He is immortal but it is not an eternal joyful thing. Indeed the eternity is always under threat by the very normalcy and goodness of people like the Harkers.

    Read More

  • Dracul Different Elements In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life is a cruel. It, will attempt to take one down; it will humble one; it will attempt to break many down. In moments one may not know what to do, instead he/she must a find a way to use what they have around them as an advantage to defeat the problems that stands their way. Throughout dark fiction, authors utilise different elements as a tool to defeating the antagonist. the story Dracula uses completely different approaches in taking down the mighty Dracula. In the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker effectively employs the different elements that are used to defeat Dracula. Stoker effectively demonstrates the elements that are used to destroy Dracula through act of Religion, the aspect of Science and the setting.

    Read More

  • Dracula: A Simple Tale of Good vs. Evil

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    This fictional character was soon to be famous, and modified for years to come into movie characters or even into cereal commercials. But the original will never be forgotten: a story of a group of friends all with the same mission, to destroy Dracula. The Count has scared many people, from critics to mere children, but if one reads between the lines, Stoker’s true message can be revealed. His personal experiences and the time period in which he lived, influenced him to write Dracula in which he communicated the universal truth that good always prevails over evil. Religion was a big part of people’s lives back in Stoker’s time.

    Read More

  • A Morally Ambiguous Character In Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dracula kills Lucy who is a sweet, victorian woman that did not deserve to be bit by Dracula. Killing people, to most people, would be an action only a purely evil person would do “Lucy’s eyes in form and colour; but Lucy’s eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle ors we knew” (226). Lucy getting bit not only hurt Lucy, but it caused all the people near and dear to her hurt also. Vampire-Lucy still looks pure and sweet which is even harder on the people she loves because they see that she looks beautiful and like herself but she is not herself. When something evil is being hidden as something good it is extremely evil and hurts the people that love and care for her. He does not act how a civilized and well manored man should act. He hurts other people to benefit himself. Clearly such actions are incredibly evil and no sane person would think to do such a

    Read More

  • Good and Evil in Dracula by Bram Stoker

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...l. After discovering this, Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Quincey, and Arthur hunted her, and killed the evil soul that had taken over her body. She then truly dies and is left in her natural, humane state. Also, Jonathan facing Dracula is another example of good versus evil, as seen when Jonathan wrote that “when the Count saw [his] face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at [his] throat. [Jonathan] drew away, and [the Count’s] hand touched the string of beads that held the crucifix.” (21). Jonathan unknowing put himself in danger by entering the Count’s castle, in which there was only evil. He could only protect himself by possessing religious objects, of which the Count, a demonic character, was afraid of. Good and evil was also demonstrated through the relationship between kind and purely good characters opposing evil characters.

    Read More

  • Dracula and the Threat of Female Sexual Expression by Bram Stoker

    1398 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gothic Motifs In Dracula

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dracula, a gothic novel by Bram Stoker, prominently displays three gothic motifs -- the supernatural, entrapment, and nightmares. Throughout the entirety of the novel, the main characters were being harmed or attempting to destroy the vampire, Count Dracula. Without this supernatural character, there would not have been a plot line to the story. Count Dracula makes his victims feel physically entrapped as well as entrapped in their own minds. The characters in the novel that had direct interaction with Dracula seem to confuse reality with nightmares, making it hard for them to understand what was happening to them.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Survival In Dracula By Bram Stoker

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the gothic writing of Stoker, there was a huge intimidation of Dracula coming forth from it. “Stoker spared no effort to present his demonic vampire as dramatically as possible” (Leatherdale 105-17). With this sinister presence of death, people start to panic. As a vampire hunter, it was Helsing’s job to help notify people on how to rid themselves of this demon. Stoker portrays survival in the form of teamwork between the men and women of the novel. These characters soon take survival into their own hands. “‘We must trace each of those boxes; and when we are ready, we must either capture or kill this monster in his lair; or we must, so to speak, sterilize the earth, so that no more he can seek safety in it’” (Stoker 373). At this point in the novel, the characters know about the existence of vampires. The consequences are also put on top priority. The men know of the consequences, yet still want to go after this demon. “By chasing Dracula, the men risk being sentenced to an immortal life as a vampire. This immortality is endless time lived in physical form” (Poquette 35). Knowing the risks of hunting a vampire, the characters ignore them to protect their loved ones. A vampire hunter is an important factor in the novel because without one, the other characters wouldn’t know what to do. Stoker chose right in including

    Read More

  • The Devil In Dracula

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    While studying the diabolical figures in the devil, the idea of presenting Dracula came to mind. Dracula represents the devil in many similar ways. Dracula remains as a character in many diabolical movies and films. For instance, Van Helsing provides a good interpret of how Dracula remains noticed in the past and in present day. Although Dracula’s character obtains different views in every movie and film, he plays an important role in Stephen Sommers Van Helsing movie. In the movie, he acts as many different things. Demonstrating both the kind and evil inside, Dracula portrays his character as a mystery. Different views of Dracula throughout the movie include harsh, strong, powerful, evil, the devil, and unstoppable. The studies of Dracula

    Read More

  • Dracula - Symbolism Of Blood

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Bram Stoker's Dracula, the most blatant and powerful symbol is blood. He takes the blood that means so much to the believers of this legend and has it represent more than even they could imagine. Blood is the main object associated with vampires and vampirism. From a mythical standpoint, it is the basis of life for the vampires as they feed off of the blood of young, vibrant souls. From a more scientific standpoint blood is what would drip out of the corpse's mouth when family members would dig up their dead kin to check for the dreaded disease. Stoker takes the significance of this symbol and puts his own unique twist to the meaning of blood. He combines the traditional folklore of vampirism and the immense sexual undertones of the Victorian era to create a simply horrific tale which completely confuses the emotions of his readers. Stoker knew bloods importance in vampire history and used the overwhelming symbolism to convey his own personal lust and sexual obsessions. The scenes where Lucy is receiving transfusions; first from Holmwood, then from Seward, and the unforgettable vampire baptism between Dracula and Mina all have these very erotic, sexual feelings associated with them. What makes these so powerful is the combination of violence and sex. As a reader, you know that what Dracula is doing are horrific and wrong, but because they are so sexually described and associated you think you should enjoy them, but you can't. This is the confusion which stoker implements into his readers minds, especially ones of the Victorian era. This is why stoker used blood as the most important symbol in the novel; to create an intense horror that was not just in the words of the book, but in the minds of the reader.

    Read More

  • Dracula

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although Harker was the protagonist, I didn’t consider him a hero. He didn't actively seek out anything heroic, he just goes with the flow. I was looking at Dracula as an anti-hero in this story. Even though he was technically the villain, I challenged myself to analyze Dracula as the hero in the story. If it weren't for Dracula, vampires wouldn't be so popular in pop culture today. There are a lot of vampire characters that speak on how much of an impact Dracula had on culture (Melton 303).

    Read More

  • Elements of Romanticism in Stokers Dracula

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dracula seems to possess unexplainable supernatural powers. When Jonathan Harker is traveling to castle Dracula, he is unaware that the driver of his coach is the Count himself. During the nocturnal journey, the coach is circled by wolves, not knowing what to do Jonathan calls for the coachman and in return “heard his [Dracula’s] voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arm, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still” (23). This unnatural power over the wolves is Stoker’s first way of showing Dracula’s power over nature. Harker also describes in his journal that one evening “I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings… I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corners of the stones… and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves along a wall” (43). This tr...

    Read More

  • Gothic Setting In Dracula

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dracula by Bram Stoker is an authentic Gothic novel that manages to hit on every Gothic literature aspect. Gothic literature is usually set in an isolated setting and has a dark, mysterious, and evil tone. In this type of literature, there are usually dark castles, palaces, presences of supernatural beings, and religion. The book Dracula is about a Count from Transylvania that goes to London in search of new victims and a group of Victorian citizens who end up defeating him and his evil ways. The use of setting and atmosphere in Dracula is filled with a world full of mystery and fear. Bram Stoker manages to capture the Gothic element with his use of castles, symbols, and isolated setting.

    Read More

  • Dracula

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a classic tale of Gothicism. Traditionally, gothic tales only carried single theme of horror. Through Dracula, Stoker breaks this single theme barrier. The theme throughout Dracula is clearly displayed through the characters as they step from ignorance to realization in this tale of horror.

    Read More

  • Dracula Character Analysis

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book, Dracula by Bram Stoker there are many characters that display qualities of good verse evil. The Count Dracula is a mysterious character who appears as an odd gentleman but the longer the story goes on Dracula shows his true self. Dracula started infiltrating the lives of anyone who crossed his path and he was not stopping his destruction of others’ lives. Many people were affect by Dracula’s actions but there were two people that Dracula caused an impact on during his rampage. Dracula is an evil, cunning, and selfish character who harms the life of a young man and ruins the future of an innocent woman.

    Read More

More about Good Vs. Evil In Dracula By Bram Stoker

Open Document