Dracula: Characters (OCR A Level English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nadia Ambreen
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Dracula: Characters
Stoker uses the literary style known as an epistolary novel to tell the story via multiple narrative perspectives. The narrative is not only constructed through diary entries, but also through telegrams, letters, newspaper articles and business reports. This could therefore suggest that the narrative is unreliable and the reader cannot form a strong connection with any of the characters. This gives the reader the decision of how to view the characters, based on what is gathered from the information given. Characters can be also symbolic, representing certain ideas or ideals, so it is essential that you consider:
how characters are established
how characters are presented via:
actions and motives
what they say and think
how they interact with others
what others say and think about them
their physical appearance or description
how far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes
the relationships between characters
what they might represent
Below you will find detailed character profiles for the major characters in Dracula, along with a summary of the other significant characters.
Major characters
Other characters
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the exam, the idea of character as a conscious construct should be evident throughout your response. There have been many different adaptations of Dracula in film and television since its publication, but you should try to avoid seeing the original characters as “early versions” of characters that you are familiar with through popular culture.
Instead, focus solely on the text, and your analysis of characters should be literary rather than influenced by other versions or representations.
Dracula
Dracula is the antagonist of the story and a vampire:
However, we do not see the story unfold from his perspective
Jonathan Harker’s journal is crucial to Dracula’s characterisation, as it gives us the most detailed description of the character:
Harker is also the only character who spends a significant amount of time with Dracula
Harker’s journals do not explicitly state that he is a vampire as Harker does not consider this
Instead, he is presented as a sinister and creepy character who cannot be trusted
The reader is not told Dracula’s age, though it can be inferred through the stories that he tells Harker that he may be hundreds of years old
He is first presented to us through the character of Harker:
Initially he seems charming, polite and well-educated
However, physically, Dracula is described by Harker in a negative way
His mouth is described as “cruel looking” and Harker comments on his “sharp white teeth”
It is clear that he is of noble blood and he comes from a long line of aristocracy:
However, his thirst for blood and power make him a direct contrast to the character of Lord Godalming
He possesses supernatural abilities and powers:
He has super strength and the ability to control animals such as wolves
He is also able to shapeshift into mist and animals
He has no reflection
He feeds off people and infects them with his vampirism as he drains the blood from them
Dracula is well-read and has an excellent knowledge of the world around him:
He recounts tales of his family and their former glory to Harker
It is clear that Dracula has a plan and had done his research before he moved to London
He shows no remorse or any kindness to any character he comes close to:
He leaves Harker to die in the castle when he has no more use for him
He slowly drains Lucy of life and turns her into a vampire
He uses characters such as the crew on the ship and Renfield to do his bidding and kills them when he no longer needs them or if they try to fight him (as was the case with Renfield)
Dracula seems merciless and relentless in his pursuit to execute his plan:
He arrogantly tells Van Helsing that “others shall yet be mine”, which highlights his desire to dominate
He is eventually killed by Quincey P Morris and the other men who pursue him in Transylvania
His bloodline, personality and actions suggest that he is selfish and driven by his desire to overpower and overthrow
Dracula represents the idea of the “other” and is a foreigner in England at the time the novel was written
He is mentioned throughout the novel and is the central focus for the other characters, but only appears properly three times:
At the beginning in Castle Dracula
When he bites Mina
When the men are pursuing him in Piccadilly
At the end of the novel, he wakes seconds before he is killed:
His look of triumph is replaced with a “look of peace”, which surprises Mina Harker
It could be suggested that he has been released from his own painful existence, which may lead us to conclude that Dracula may have also been a prisoner like Lucy
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is a young solicitor from London:
He has been sent by his firm on a business trip to Transylvania
His job is to secure and finalise a real estate deal with Count Dracula
His diary entries account for a significant portion of the novel and we begin the story with his entries
He spends the most significant amount of time with Count Dracula and we learn about the vampire through his perspective:
He lives with the Count during his stay at Transylvania and ultimately escapes death
Harker can initially be seen as naive as he does not take the villagers' warnings seriously
His initial impressions of Dracula are that he is noble and polite, but he soon realises that he is not to be trusted:
Dracula’s appearance also unnerves Harker, but he appears passive during his stay at Castle Dracula
Harker initially does not seem strong enough to kill Dracula on his own:
He is essentially trapped in the castle and is at a loss over what to do
He decides to explore the castle to find a way out
Through Harker’s diary entries, we get an insight into his fragile state of mind and his fears and weaknesses:
He openly writes about almost being seduced by the female vampires in Castle Dracula and writes of his shame
It is worth noting that during his imprisonment at the castle, Harker’s masculinity is replaced with the image of a “damsel in distress” linked to traditional fairy tales:
He is trapped and overpowered by a man who is, as he says himself, stronger than he is
He cannot escape and is confined to his room
He is left to be killed by an evil woman (or women)
His masculinity is restored when he decides to climb down the castle wall so that he can rest “as a man”
We next hear of Harker through Mina’s letters and diary entries:
He is recovering in a hospital in Buda-Pesth as he is still haunted by the events that he witnessed at the castle
He returns to London but is still weakened by what he saw and does not believe in himself
His reaction to seeing Dracula in London make it evident that he was still shaken by the events that took place in Transylvania:
It is clear that, at this point, he doubts his own abilities and his role
It is Jonathan’s meeting with Van Helsing that restores his self-confidence, as Van Helsing assures him that what he saw at Castle Dracula was not a figment of his imagination:
This makes him feel like “a new man” and his fear vanishes
This also motivates Harker to join the men in their pursuit to kill Dracula
Near the end of the novel, it is evident that Harker feels guilt over what happened to Mina:
His anger spurs him to pursue Dracula and Mina tries to calm him in order to make him see sense and reasoning, as he is described “like a living flame”
He states that he is willing to sell his soul to see Dracula destroyed
He agrees to withhold information from Mina in order to protect her, as he feels this is his duty
His love for Mina is also evident as declares that he is willing to become a vampire in order to be with Mina
He finally gets his revenge and redemption at the end of the novel, as he successfully manages to destroy Dracula with the rest of the men
Mina Murrey (née Harker)
Mina Murrey is first introduced through Harker’s diary entries:
We find out that she is engaged to Harker
He describes her as the ideal woman when comparing her to the female vampires in Dracula’s castle
Mina is shown to have many virtuous characteristics and traits:
She is described as faithful and loyal
She is clearly a nurturer and is willing to take care of those she loves, including Lucy
She is also driven by her desire to be a good wife, so she learns shorthand and typewriting in order to help her fiancé/husband
Mina is a teacher by trade, but takes on many roles throughout the novel:
She acts as Lucy’s companion at Whitby at the start of the novel
She then becomes her husband’s carer and nurse as well as his wife
She is pivotal to the men’s mission as she compiles and organises all of the information they need
She is then used as a key into Dracula’s location through hypnosis
Van Helsing meets Mina as he realises that she witnessed the early stages of Lucy’s encounter with Dracula
The other characters praise her for being intelligent, courageous and for having a good temperament
Mina becomes Dracula’s next target:
Dracula visits Mina several times and drains her blood
Mina does not seem to realise this, though she writes about a mist entering her room
Also, the men do not realise and think her weakness and pale face are a typical female response to the topic of discussion
They realise when they find her sucking Dracula’s blood from his chest and, as a result, she labels herself as “unclean”
She feels humiliated and that she has been tainted by what Dracula has done
As the men hunt for Dracula, Mina resolves that she will die on her own terms:
She makes the men take a solemn oath that they will kill her before she becomes a vampire
Her bravery and courage can be seen in her resolve to make her own decisions rather than succumb to the infection
When Mina becomes infected, Van Helsing tries to bless her by using a communion wafer:
This burns her forehead and leaves a scar, leading the others to realise that she is being transformed and corrupted
The burn mark may symbolise her falling from grace and her impurity
When Dracula is killed, the burn mark disappears, thereby suggesting that her purity and goodness is restored
Van Helsing describes her as having feminine virtues but a man’s brain:
His “compliment” highlights how she was more forward thinking than women of that time, as she displayed a strength of character that was traditionally associated with men
He clearly greatly admires her and respects her intelligence
Through Mina, the themes relating to purity and corruption are explored as she represents feminine ideals of that time
Dr Seward
John Seward is first introduced as one of Lucy’s suitors whom she rejects
He is the head of a medical asylum and we later find out that he used to be one of Professor Van Helsing’s students
Seward is a man of science and finds it difficult to comprehend anything that is supernatural or that cannot be explained by science and reasoning
He is friends with Quincey P Morris and Arthur Holmwood, the other two men who propose to Lucy
Seward strives to understand things based on logic and attempts to forms conclusions based on scientific knowledge and theories
He has a particular patient (Renfield) whom he studies and writes about:
It is clear that he is fascinated with Renfield and his behaviours
He records this in his diary
Arthur Holmwood asks Dr Seward to diagnose and treat Lucy when she first becomes ill:
Dr Seward cannot understand what has happened to Lucy and so calls for his mentor, Professor Van Helsing
His passion for science and medicine limits his understanding and stops him from being able to save Lucy
However, despite being rejected, his love for Lucy never wavers
He can also be described as loyal and kind as he goes above and beyond to treat Lucy and try to save her:
He does the same with Mina when she is infected
He can be seen as Van Helsing’s sounding board and partner during the novel:
Van Helsing consults Seward during Lucy’s illness
He also gives Seward clues and questions to help Seward come to his own conclusions
Seward could be seen to be constantly questioning Van Helsing’s theories and actions
His interactions with Van Helsing show a naive side to Seward
He is seen as a modern character:
He uses a phonograph to record his diary entries
He has very rigid views on treatment and medicine and this limits his perceptions:
He does not initially believe or understand Van Helsing’s vampire theory
He has to see Lucy as a vampire before he fully understands
Seward also suspects that Renfield may be linked with Dracula, but does not act upon it
He sees similar symptoms in Mina as he saw in Lucy, but overlooks this again and thinks it is her fragility as a female that has made her weak
Therefore, he concludes that Mina must be kept out of the mission to kill Dracula
When he is asked to join the hunt to kill Dracula, he admits that he is not someone who is accustomed to hunting:
However, it is evident that he found it thrilling
His desire to see Dracula’s demise spurred him to forsake his scientific theories and embrace folklore and tradition to destroy the vampire
Dr Seward is an important figure in this novel as he represents Victorian views on science and modern advancements
However, even though he is a man of science, through his love for characters like Mina and Lucy, we see a kinder side and one that is driven by a sense of duty
Dr Van Helsing
Van Helsing is first introduced through Dr Seward as his old professor and mentor:
He is therefore older than the rest of the characters
He is key in Dracula’s destruction:
He unites the group and leads them in their mission to kill the vampire
He is the bridge between modern medicine and ancient tradition and folklore:
He uses blood transfusions to initially treat Lucy
He notices the two puncture wounds on Lucy’s neck
His understanding of folklore and tradition, as well as superstition and the occult, is what helps the men to free Lucy’s soul and also destroy Dracula
Mina Harker describes him as “good” and “of a noble nature”:
She describes his features in detail and she describes his physical appearance as strong and powerful
While he is also an outsider like Dracula, he is accepted by the group and Dr Seward’s opinion of him means that he is not feared like Dracula is:
However, he is charming, like Dracula, and is able to befriend those around him
He also has a quick temper, like Dracula, but uses his influence to do good
He is therefore presented as the direct opposite of Dracula
Van Helsing is open-minded enough to bring in symbols and relics from tradition and religion to help them in their quest:
Dr Seward shows a scepticism that Van Helsing does not have, as he is more open-minded and scholarly
He was also willing to embrace folklore and old medicines, such as garlic, to drive off vampires
His views oppose those of Dr Seward, as he is able to embrace information that is not scientific and logical, whereas Dr Seward’s views are firmly grounded in modern medicine:
He is, therefore, able to think on multiple levels and use multiple theories to come to a conclusion
His medical skills do not save Lucy or Renfield, but his knowledge of the occult and superstition ends up saving Mina from eternal damnation
Van Helsing is also more liberal in his views with women:
He comments on Mina’s intelligence by stating that she has a “man’s brain”
Van Helsing’s strength in character is shown when he travels to Castle Dracula and he resists the female vampires:
He also succeeds in killing them and freeing their souls
He also destroys the castle before anyone else can be affected
The narrative is rarely told from Van Helsing’s perspective:
The most notable example of this is near the end of the novel, when he goes to destroy the castle and leaves a dying Mina protected in the forest
Other characters
Lucy Westenra
Lucy is a 19 year old who is introduced as Mina’s best friend:
She is described as beautiful and flirtatious
She is from a wealthy aristocratic family
At the start of the novel, three men propose to her:
She rejects two of the men, Dr Seward and Quincey P Morris
She accepts Arthur Holmwood’s proposal as she states that she is in love with him
She expresses her sadness over having to reject two men which reflects a vanity and self-indulgence that would have been seen as vulgar at that time
Shortly after her engagement, she holidays in Whitby with her family and Mina joins her:
During her stay there, she begins to sleepwalk and Mina finds her in a cemetery with a red-eyed creature leaning over her
She is Dracula’s first victim in England:
She becomes a part of the undead
Once she becomes a vampire, Van Helsing and Arthur Holmwood manage to destroy her and free her soul
Her attractiveness and voluptuousness are emphasised as she becomes a vampire:
She is seen as impure and evil
Her purity has been taken away and replaced with something unacceptable
Her transformation reflects Victorian society’s views on sex and promiscuity during that time
When Arthur drives a stake through her heart, her soul is released and the purity returns to her
Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood is Lucy’s fiancé and an aristocrat
He is mentioned through letters that Lucy sends to Mina:
He is not actually present for a significant part of the novel
Arthur is concerned for Lucy and asks his friend, Dr Seward, to examine her to try to treat her illness
He returns when Lucy becomes a vampire and takes it as his duty to free her soul by driving a stake through her heart:
He feels that he is connected to Lucy through the blood transfusion even though they did not marry
He then joins the group in order to kill Dracula:
He uses his position and fortune to pursue Dracula and travel to Transylvania to kill him
Arthur is clearly shaken by Lucy’s death and the aftermath and breaks the masculine stereotypes that were prevalent in Victorian England by crying when he is alone with Mina
Quincey P. Morris
Quincey P. Morris, along with Holmwood and Dr Seward, is a suitor who was trying to win Lucy’s hand in marriage
He is from Texas in the USA:
He therefore provides a contrast to the British characters
He is described as being educated and polite
He is also portrayed as courageous
It is clear that he is in his element when he is hunting and clearly enjoys hunting Dracula
He is described by the other characters as a born leader and is also instrumental in destroying Dracula:
His courage never falters and his eagerness to help Mina is evident
He dies during the battle with Dracula:
However, he is not forgotten, as Mina and Jonathan name their son after him
Renfield
Renfield is a patient at Dr Seward’s asylum
Dr Seward has taken a keen interest in him and his behaviour
Renfield lines up spiders and traps flies and eats them, as he believes this will prolong his life
He appears to have a connection with Dracula and his behaviour becomes more agitated when the Count is close to the asylum
He later allows Dracula to enter the asylum and, as a result, Dracula is able to attack Mina
However, he attempts to fight the vampire, which leads to his own demise
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, in Task 2 you are being assessed on your ability to explore literary texts informed by different interpretations (AO5). This includes considering different interpretations of characters. For example, Dr Seward may be considered a man of knowledge and science. He was the first person Arthur Holmwood asked to examine Lucy, which gives the reader an insight into how widely respected he was. However, it could be argued that it was his admiration for science and logic that resulted in Lucy’s death as he was unable to comprehend supernatural forces that were beyond his scope of understanding. Did he turn a blind eye to the strange occurrences because he could not rationalise them with scientific knowledge? When one considers this perspective, Dr Seward does not appear as knowledgeable as he initially does.
To find out more about exploring different interpretations, see our Interpretations Revision Notes.
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