Count Dracula

In this version, he is in the form of an old man, which looks like the image of him in which John first saw him. Bram Stoker was thought to have based his character upon the historical figure Vlad Tepes, ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, also known as Vlad Dracul and "Vlad the Impaler". Some believe that Stoker may have possibly also based Dracula partially off of "The Abhartach," a vampiric creature from Irish folklore. Unlike the vampires of Eastern European folklore - which are portrayed as repulsive, corpse-like creatures - Dracula is handsome and charismatic, exuding a veneer of aristocratic charm which masks his unfathomable evil. He is widely regarded as a metaphor for vice, depravity and illicit sex. Count Dracula's appearance is described thus: “ [Dracula's] face was a strong - a very strong - aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples, but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy mustache, was fixed and rather cruel looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness's showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale and at the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor. „ ~ Jonathan Harker's Journal, Dracula, Chapter 2. It must be noted that the most iconic portrayals of the Count depict him as a black-haired, clean-shaved, middle-aged man, in stark contrast with the old man sporting a mustache of the novel.Dracula is noted for having been an admirably brave and noble, if ruthless, man when alive, but as an undead he is horribly cruel and heartless, only regarding people as prey to feed on and servants to use and trample. He is suave, refined and sophisticated, being able to seamlessly pass for a perfect gentleman, unfailingly polite and considerate, but only when he needs something from someone. When he does not, he is stern and easily irked. He is very proud and haughty, as he fully expects to be shown the respect a man of his condition deserves even under his gentleman façade. He deems the protagonists’ attempts against him futile, and reacts with scathing spite when thwarted. However, he is cautious and becomes increasingly wary of them following their progress. He is immensely intelligent and knowledgeable, with centuries of experience and learning. He prepared his plot with the utmost care, devising counters to all possible troubles. It is stated several times that another vampire trying to do the same would fail. He can quickly adapt to new cultures and situations, and proves especially cunning during his skirmishes with the protagonists. He knows how to cover his tracks, to create false leads and to misguide his foes to escape them, and he always learns from his mistakes. However, immortality somehow stunted his development, causing Van Helsing to refer to his intelligence as "child-like". Indeed he will first rely on external help, before figuring that he can do better on his own and how, and he needs to experience a situation to fully grasp it. Many adaptations make the Count a more fleshed-out, three-dimensional character. Some make him an anti-hero who laments his curse and longs for respite, and some even give him a romance with Mina. In spite of the enormous popularity of such portrayal, it must be stressed that the original Mina utterly loathes the Count; although she does wish to save the soul of the great man he once was, she wants to see the vampire destroyed as much as the other protagonists do, and proves vital in his defeat. Furthermore, she breaks down in despair when infected with vampirism, and is revolted by the prospect of becoming one of his vampire brides.