Halloween Representations of Dracula

Halloween Representations of Dracula

Emily Kline

Dracula in Halloween

As we all know Bram Stocker’s Dracula is probably one of the most well-known characters of Halloween. You may also say Dracula is the ultimate vampire of Halloween. If you think about it what other vampires do you hear about during Halloween time? None, right? Dracula is always the “theme” vampire if you would, when you ask a child what they are supposed to be they will often say Dracula or a vampire. 

In figure 1 we see Bram Stocker’s Dracula as he was described in the popular novel. Dark and sharp feature, long canines, dressed in black, and the blood around his mouth, the picture screams vampire. These characteristics were formed when the novel was published in 1897 and although the features have developed more in vampires of this century some have stayed the same. The fangs for example are a recurring accessory for Halloween costumes, along with dark features and clothes. In figure 2 we can see the development of the Dracula Halloween costume and although some features have changed it still follows the same guidelines as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 

(1) Figure1: Bram Stocker's Dracula                  

(2) Figure 2: Current Dracula Costumes

 Current Vampire Media

Over the age’s vampire stories have begun to change, Bram Stocker’s Dracula was a vampire that was hated by humans but now there is a shift from the hatred to admiration in a way. Dracula was ruthless in his pursuit of human blood but that has now changed in the media, as the Irish Examiner puts it “Deformed blood-suckers with long nails and rancid breath who have left generations of movie-goers cowering in their seats have been transformed into stunningly attractive super-human beings with a conscience, torn between their repulsive dietary needs and the realization that drinking the blood of the innocent is, well, a bit of a crime”(3). These newly evolved vampires in some cases play the role of the hero unlike Dracula. Vampires in today's media also are portrayed as being a love story where they fall in love with a mortal. In the novel Dracula the vampire is not portrayed as falling in love with anyone.                                                                                                 

The Real Life Dracula

Many people do not know that Bram Stocker’s Dracula was actually based off of a real person. The man’s name was Vlad III although his nickname was Vlad the Impaler. According to Marc Lallanilla from Live Science he had a taste for blood, “The morbid nickname is a testament to the Wallachian prince's favorite way of dispensing with his enemies”(4). Vlad was from the 15 century, so his time has long passed but his taste for blood and death is very similar to that of Dracula’s. Statistics show that Vlad had more than 20,000 victims in which he impaled. Scary Halloween stories would never be the same if the story of Vlad III was told.

Sources

1. Murphy, Peter. “Bram Stoker and the Strange Case of the 'Dracula' Prequel.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 18 Oct. 2018, www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/bram-stoker-and-the-strange-case-of-the-dracula-prequel-1.3664240.

2. “Mens Deluxe Vampire Costume.” HalloweenCostumes.com, www.halloweencostumes.com/mens-deluxe-vampire-costume.html.

3. Tuesday, October 18. “How Has the Modern Picture of a Vampire Changed from Bram Stoker's Original?” Irish Examiner, Irish Examiner, 17 Oct. 2016, www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/how-has-the-modern-picture-of-a-vampire-changed-from-bram-stokers-original-426198.html.

4. Lallanilla, Marc. “The Real Dracula: Vlad the Impaler.” LiveScience, Purch, 14 Sept. 2017, www.livescience.com/40843-real-dracula-vlad-the-impaler.html.