Bram Stoker’s Dracula is full to the brim with characters, all of which have a signature feature that defines their personality. However, Count Dracula is perhaps the most complex character of all. As an undead vampire who feeds on human blood, Dracula is naturally the antagonist of the story. The Count has “a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of” and eyes that flame “red with devilish passion” (Stoker 33, 176). He is compared so frequently to the demons of the underworld, that it is almost impossible to see Dracula as anything but pure evil. More often than not, Stoker associates the Count with shades of red and black, both of which are known to represent malicious intent. Red signifies rage, passion, fire, and, most importantly, blood. Black, on the other hand, symbolizes death, decay, darkness, and emptiness. Not only does Stoker color Dracula evil with words, but with actions as well. Throughout the novel, the vampire commits a wide array of heinous acts, among them kidnapping, blood-sucking, and murder.
For example, one of my favorite and most suspenseful
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This is a memorable moment in the story because it gives the audience yet another peek at the more human side of Dracula. With great enthusiasm, the Count tells of his own powerful race, and of their role in an ancient war against the Turks. He mourns the passing of the warlike glory days, but enjoys reminiscing about his victories. He states that “the pride of his house and name is his own pride, [and] that their glory is his glory” (Stoker 20). Perhaps Dracula fought these glorious, centuries-old battles when he was still human, and, if so, his dwelling on a past life may be yet another link to his humanity. Even Mina Harker acknowledges that Dracula must have been a man once, when she observes that “that poor soul who has wrought all this misery, [Dracula], is the saddest case of all” (Stoker