More handpicked essays just for you.
Vampires of folklore vs vampires of literature
The speech of The history of vampires in literature
Vampires research essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Vlad the Impaler: Others (Im)Pale in Comparison
Forty thousand. Forty thousand is the estimated number of victims of Vlad the Impaler. Many of that staggering amount was, in fact, his own people, which included less than 50,000 citizens at the highest point in population. Vampires have evolved throughout the years, but the modern bloodsuckers can find some basis in actual people and events. Vlad Tepes was not always known as “The Impaler,” so one must look at the circumstances before he gained power and then through his rule over Wallachia in Romania to comprehend how fitting his title is. Modern representations of the infamous prince have been made due to the rediscovery of his story. Vlad’s childhood and early adulthood played a significant
…show more content…
role in the creation of an infamous European ruler. Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad Tepes, was the illegitimate son of Mircea cel Batrin. When Mircea died, Vlad and the son of one of Mircea’s brothers fought over the right to the throne of Wallachia, a state within Romania. Around the time of his son’s, Vlad Dracula’s, birth, which is believed to be in 1431, Vlad Dracul joined the Order of the Dragon. This was an institution established to oppose Christianity’s enemies, including the Turks of the Ottoman Empire (Joshi 394). It was because of this affiliation that Vlad took the name “Dracul,” meaning “dragon,” but also meant “devil.” Later in his life, Vlad the Impaler used “Dracula” in his signature, which means son of the dragon or devil. Wallachia came under Vlad Dracul’s rule in 1436 when he defeated his adversaries for the throne. In 1438, Vlad Dracul entered an agreement with the sultan of the Turks, which resulted in him having to let two of his sons, Vlad and Radu, be imprisoned by the sultan to guarantee the alliance. Vlad’s time with the Turks instilled a Machiavellian, or an unscrupulous, attitude toward politics and gave him the need for revenge against those who wronged him (Melton 791). Vlad Dracula’s father and his older brother were murdered in late 1447 by orders of John Hunyadi, the Hungarian governor, and members of the elite known as boyars.
While Vlad was his father’s successor, Vladislav II was given the throne of Wallachia due to the support of Hunyadi. Vlad was able to claim his throne for a short time before he was forced to flee to Moldavia. The Moldavian ruler was assassinated in 1451 and Vlad then went to Transylvania and offered himself up to Hunyadi. An alliance was struck between the two since Vladislav II began to have pro-Turkish policies which the governor did not appreciate. Hunyadi did acknowledge Vlad’s right to the throne of Wallachia, and when he died from the plague in 1456, Vlad defeated Vladislav II and killed the fleeing prince (Melton 792). This was simply the beginning of his harsh reign. Vlad Dracula created his dark legacy during his reign as voivode, prince, of Wallachia in the 15th …show more content…
century. To take revenge on the boyars that had killed his father and brother, he arrested them and impaled the older ones outside the city walls and forced the younger ones to build Castle Poenari. According to a Byzantine annalist, Vlad had as many as 20,000, of all ages, killed in a short amount of time. His cruelty certainly was not reserved for his enemies, but anyone he considered a nuisance or untrustworthy (Guiley 307). He forced his own moral code upon his people and severely punished any of those that broke it. Even churches were not exempt from Vlad’s terrorism, especially Roman Catholic monasteries, which he believed brought in unwanted alien influence. In 1457, 1459, and 1460, Vlad thought that Transylvania was ignoring his trade laws, so he raided the land and impaled its people to enforce his laws. Even though some stories may be exaggerated, Vlad’s nickname, “Tepes,” the Impaler, was rightfully given (Melton 792). In late 1461, Vlad decided to launch a military campaign to drive the Turks away from the Danube River. While the campaign started with success, the Ottomans quickly retaliated. The Impaler was forced to retreat. Vlad had little success later but did manage to slow the Turks down in their forward assault. After sunset on June 17, Vlad led an excursion into a Turkish camp in an attempt to capture the sultan. However, they were unable to identify the correct tent the sultan was located in, but they still killed many Turks. Again, he had to retreat. When the Ottomans eventually reached the capital city, Tirgoviste, a wall of impaled bodies surrounded the city. This caused the sultan to stop and reconsider his plans, and he then decided for the Turks to return to Adrianople. Vlad’s brother, Radu, now stepped in as the Turkish favorite for the Wallachian throne. He led the Turkish army and other enemies of Vlad’s to drive out the reigning voivode, or commander. Seemingly cornered at Castle Dracula, Vlad managed to slip away through a secret passage into Transylvania. Vlad submitted himself to the king of Hungary, who had him arrested (Melton 793). He was imprisoned in the Hungarian capital under relatively comfortable conditions from 1466 to 1475 when he was once again recognized as prince of Wallachia due to shifting conditions in the nation. He never was secure in his position and was assassinated in late 1476 or early 1477 (794). However, Vlad the Impaler has been given a new life in modern times and can be found in many forms of media, both as a vampiric figure and not. Within the last forty-five years, much fictional media have taken research of the infamous Romanian prince and included details into their storyline.
Some only use elements of his life, while others cast a supernatural twist on his life as a whole. Dracula (1974) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula are both well-known movies that included features of Vlad Dracula’s life (Melton 794). Some movies simply place the historical figure of Vlad into completely fictional situations, such as Vlad, a movie made in 2003 (795). Dracula Untold is a recent movie based on Vlad the Impaler, but with more supernatural elements incorporated into it (Shore). Bram Stoker’s classic novel, Dracula, got its name from Vlad’s signature. However, little evidence has been found to discover if Stoker had actually done any research or used any information about the prince besides his last name in his book (Joshi 81). Biographies and documentaries have also been made about Vlad Dracula. Raymond T. McNally and Radu R. Florescu studied the ruler and their initial findings were released in 1972 in In Search of Dracula. The next year, they published a more academic biography, Dracula: A Biography of Vlad the Impaler (Melton 453). Christopher Lee narrated and played Vlad in scenes of the Swedish documentary version of In Search of Dracula in 1975 (Melton
795). Vlad’s upbringing, his adult life with impaling tendencies, and modern representations have all shaped our perception of the infamous Romanian prince. To many, Vlad Dracula truly is the son of the devil. His name has become synonymous with cruelty. Due to new research, Vlad the Impaler is used as a source for vampire mythology in recent depictions of the beloved bloodsuckers. Even though he tortured and/or killed an estimated forty thousand people, Vlad Dracula is a prime example of our species’ draw to our dark past for entertainment.
Florescu, Radu, and McNally, R. T., Dracula: A Biography of Vlad the Impaler, 1431-1476 (1973)
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
In the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, there is much evidence of foreshadowing and parallels to other myths. Dracula was not the first story featuring a vampire myth, nor was it the last. Some would even argue that it was not the best. However, it was the most original, using foreshadowing and mood to create horrific imagery, mythical parallels to draw upon a source of superstition, and original narrative elements that make this story unique.
It is precisely the point that Hollywood distorts and corrupts serious literature for the entertainment pleasures of a mass audience. In the task of comparing and contrasting the novel of "Dracula" to film extracts of "Bram Stoker’s Dracula", values, meaning and context discovered lie between discrepancy and similarity. The change from differing mediums, novel and film, reveal characteristics and possibilities of narratives. Through the advancement of technology, modern writers have gained a cinematic approach to their writing. However Dracula, written in 1987 by Abraham Stoker, where the introduction of technology was gradual, forging inventions such as the typewriter and phonograph, made reference to in the novel, had no anticipation of what technology would have an effect on such writings. With society’s fascination with the supernatural, and love of technology, Dracula’s many adaptations, film, stage, have ensured its survival through the passage of time.
Loosely based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film is the story of a
Comparing the 1931 version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, with Frances Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula 1993 version yields some similarities. Both films are of the same genre: Horror. Both films are set around the same time period. Also, both deal with a vampire coming to England and causing disruptions in people's lives. Beyond these few similarities are numerous contrasts.
While Cullen chose the path of compassion and became a doctor (Meyers, 2005; pp. 339), the Count planned to invade the British empire (Stoker, 1897/2001; pp. 328). Healing or invading, both can get lonely with time. Cullen, as a physician had decided to turn a human into vampires only if he could save them from death. All the humans that Cullen changed, he called them as his family. They were part of his coven and moved with him wherever he went (Meyer, 2005). On the other hand, count Dracula took by force and against the will of his victims. He possessed the power to hypnotize and control his victims, as he controlled Mina when he forced her to drink his blood (Stoker, 1897/2001). He lives with three beautiful female vampires in his castle, but their relationship to the Count is not clarified in the book. In chapter 3, when they are scolded by the Count for attacking Harker, they taunt him that he does not love, Dracula responds that “Yes, I too can love; you yourselves can tell it from the past” (Stoker 1897/2001; pp. 39). Although they exist in the castle and are fed by the count as noted in Jonathan’s diary entry, Dracula has no apparent interest in them. Similarly, after he changes Lucy Westenra to a vampire he stops visiting her. He feels no need to connect or form relationships with the humans he changes. As immortals, both Cullen and Count Dracula are destined to
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)
Dracula, the most famous vampire of all time, which readers were first introduced to by Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897 with his novel Dracula, which tells the story of the mysterious person named Count Dracula (Stoker). The book is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades. Whenever a film director decides to make a movie on behalf of a novel the hope is that the characters concur from the novel to the movie, which leads to the exploration of the resemblances and modifications between the characters in Dracula the novel by Bram Stoker and Bram Stoker’s Dracula 1992 movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
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;
Ever since Bram Stoker wrote his entrancing novel people have been adapting it, and the story is one of the most reproduced ideas in history. Each innovation of the novel influences the story for the creators own purpose, and in doing so generates another version of Dracula. Count Dracula has become an infamous character in history, and has been captured in many different mediums, such as the Japanese anime and manga series Vampire Hunter D, which follows Draculas son D in his adventures (Kikuchi). However, one of the adaptations that endures in modern minds is the 1992 film by Francis Ford Coppola, Bram Stoker's Dracula. This version of Dracula was meant to be loyal to the novel, but it diverged from the original in many ways.
Dracula, the 1931 film directed by Tod Browning is loosely based upon the novel of the same name. Therefore both share similar characteristics but are distinct. The differences between the novel and film occur due to the cinematic choices made as well as the fact that the film is based off of not only the novel Dracula but also the 1924 play Dracula. One major decision made by Browning was to alter the role of Johnathan Harker. In the novel Johnathan is the solicitor who meets with Dracula in Transylvania and narrowly escapes the “veritable prison” and is a changed man due to his experiences there (25).
In Bram Stoker's "Dracula", Dracula is portrayed as a monster made evident by his gruesome actions. An analysis of Dracula shows that: shows his evil nature in his planning, brutally killing Lucy Westrenstra causing a violent response from Dr. Seward and others, and how his evil ways lead to his downfall. To characterize Dracula in one way, he is a ruthless, cunning monster who uses tricks, torture, and wits to manipulate people to his will. However when he trifled with some courageous people, he had no knowledge that it would be his undoing.
From the whispers of townsfolk spreading legends and tales of what goes bump in the night to the successful novels, plays and film adaptations, the story of the vampire has remained timeless and admired. One of the main writers responsible for this fame and glory is Bram Stoker with his rendition Dracula, written in 1897. Dracula follows the accounts of Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Dr. John Seward, Lucy Westenra, and Dr. Van Helsing, through their journal entries and letters, newspaper articles, and memos. Bram’s vision for Dracula is both terrifying and captivating as the reader follows a small group of men and women led by Dr. Van Helsing through their attempt to retaliate against Count Dracula’s efforts to spread his undead chaos and blood lust across England.
The legendary creature Dracula has mesmerized readers and viewers for nearly a century. In Bram Stoker's masterpiece, Dracula, the infamous monster affects each reader in a different way. Some find the greatest fear to be the sacrilegious nature of his bloodsucking attacks, while others find themselves most afraid of Dracula's shadow-like omnipresent nature. The fascination with Dracula has assimilated into all parts of society. Dracula can now be seen selling breakfast cereals, making appearances on Sesame Street, and on the silver screen. Countless film adaptations of Stoker's original novel have been undertaken by the some of the most skilled directors in Hollywood including, Francis Ford Coppola who completed a film adaptation of Dracula in 1993.