During the early times, the vampire was characterized as a creature with no human feelings.
Vampires
Introduction
During the early times, the vampire was characterized as a creature with no human feelings. It was characterized as a creature that had an uncontrollable blood – thirst. It could attack humans for the sake of nourishing itself with blood. Besides, it could not live without blood since it depended on blood for survival without consuming other foods. However, with years, the vampire developed human feelings and started to be characterized as being romantic to humans. The desire grew more and more and vampires began to be compared with humans in terms of their actions (Statesboro 1). In fact, todays vampires live together with humans since they have developed the character of being compassionate. From being a human hunter, today the vampire is a human protector. This shows the level of advancement in character of vampires. It is even possible to live with vampires and fail to notice whether they are vampires since their character has become transformed as time elapses (Statesboro 1). The manner, in which, the different films portray vampires is different form; some portray them as being ruthless to humans, while others portray them as being friendly. This is an indication that the vampires are losing their monstrosity and can now be portrayed as normal beings. In this assignment, a comparison and contrast of the characteristics of vampires as depicted in the Dracula and the Vampire Diaries will be discussed in order to show that vampires are losing their monstrosity and are now portrayed as normal human beings.
The vampires have been given fearful appearances, which tend to cause fear to the humans. For instance, in the Dracula, different characteristics of vampires that cause fear have been portrayed; some of these characteristics include vampires are living dead because they do not breathe and have no heartbeat, yet they walk, think and talk like humans. They are immortal, but they have to sustain themselves through drinking the blood of the living. In order to become a vampire, an individual’s body must be drained first of the blood and fed with some of the blood of the attacking vampire (Stoker 92). Vampires are nocturnal implying that they are weak during the day. Vampires are usually repulsed by Christian symbols like crosses; they have magical powers and can command night creatures such as wolves and bats, and can hypnotize living creatures. Vampires have the capacity to shift shape and appear in different forms. Vampires have pale white skin, fangs to bite victims and long finger nails. Through imagining these characteristics, it is difficult for a person to desire living close to a vampire.
In the Dracula, vampires are depicted to have a characteristic of a non-living being. This indicates that the vampires are already dead and; therefore, do not require most usual things required for supporting human life such as oxygen (Dracula film). This characteristic portrays vampires as being totally different from humans and; hence, are not capable of doing some usual things that a human being can do; for example, having relationships with other human beings that is under the guidance of compassion. Besides, through this characteristic, the vampires are portrayed to have an exceedingly horrifying appearance since it is remarkably difficult for a normal human being to encounter a dead human and not afford to fear the encounter. However, this is different in the Vampire Diaries since the vampires are portrayed to have a living characteristic rather than a dead one. Through portraying vampires as humans that are living, the Vampire Diaries portrays vampires to have the ability to associate with other humans because they seem to possess the traits of humans such as breathing in oxygen and carrying out usual roles that humans perform. This portrays the change of the appearance of vampires from the traditional perspective to the modern perspective.
The vampires are portrayed to survive by the use of blood alone in the Dracula since they are not deemed to eat any other food except blood alone. However, this characteristic of feasting on blood alone is not manifested in the Vampire Diaries. In the Vampire Diaries, vampires are portrayed to use blood and food rather than using blood alone (The Vampire Diaries film). Although using other food items is considered useless for the survival of the vampires, they are portrayed to consume food and feast on the blood in the Vampire Diaries. The characteristic of eating food shows that the vampires have the characteristic of normal humans, which is an indication that they have changed their monstrosity appearance. This point of view is indicated by the capacity of the vampires to eat food like other humans, which implies that the vampires can live together with the normal humans.
In the Dracula, vampires are usually depicted to have the characteristic of blood-thirst, which they are not capable of controlling (Dracula film). This implies that once they encounter human or animal blood, they are not capable of controlling their urge and; therefore, must feast on the blood of the human or the animal. Such a characteristic makes it difficult for vampires to live in a common setting with humans because they will always crave for human blood. However, this is a traditional characteristic of vampires, which the modern vampires do not possess. In the Vampire Diaries, which is a representation of modern vampires, the vampires are portrayed have the characteristic of controlling the urge of feasting on blood. This means that the vampires are capable of living together with humans and not feast on blood. This characteristic implies that instead of having the perception that vampires will have to drink human blood in order to survive, and cannot control their thirst for blood, vampires need to be perceived as creatures that have human understanding and must not take human blood in order to quench their thirst for blood.
The Dracula portrays vampires as creatures that are not capable of living together with humans because, in the film, the vampires are portrayed to live in environments that normal human beings cannot live in; for example, in deserted places and places where the dead are found. This shows that they do not have the capacity to live with people since they can only live with the dead. On the other hand, the Vampire Diaries portray vampires as having the capacity to live together with humans (Smith 87). Through living with humans, the vampires are portrayed to have the capacity to build relationships with other humans and interact accordingly.
Besides, sexual attraction is a characteristic associated with the vampires in the Dracula and the Vampire Diaries. This characteristic is extreme in both; however, in the Dracula, the vampires are portrayed to have an uncontrolled desire to sexual attraction. This is a trait that vampires in the Vampire Diaries have the capacity to control. The control of sexual attraction by the vampires is an indication that modern vampires are capable of controlling their sexual urges just like humans. On the other hand, in the Vampire Diaries, vampires are portrayed to have the ability to take care of human beings. However, this is different with the vampires in the Dracula because the vampires are portrayed to consider protecting or taking care of humans as difficult (The Vampire Diaries film). Because of the ability of vampires to take care of human beings, the characteristic of vampires being seen as monsters have been eliminated and are now being regarded as human beings.
In the Dracula, it is difficult for vampires to engage in a group of normal individuals and participate in normal activities that humans can engage in such as partying together and leading a common life together. This is because of the inhumane characteristic that is associated with the vampires in the Dracula. However, this is not the case in the Vampire Diaries. In the Vampire Diaries, the vampires have the ability to engage in different activities that humans engage in without any problem, despite interacting with the normal human beings. The capacity of engaging in activities, where humans are, is a vital element in eliminating the likelihood of vampires engaging in blood feasting. This because once the vampires engage in groups with the normal human beings, they are capable of repressing their urge for feasting on blood. The participation of vampires in different activities that human do without feasting on human blood portrays the vampires as normal beings.
In addition, the way of attacking their prey is considered to be different in the Vampire Diaries and the Dracula. In the Dracula, the vampires are characterized by the capacity to attack humans during the night (Dracula film), which is an indication that the vampires were acting not as humans, but as animals. This emanates from the reasoning that most normal human beings work during the day and sleep during the night. The attack is a monstrosity in nature because the vampires did not seem to care about whom they are attacking; whether someone they know or a stranger. What matters in the Dracula is the ability of the vampire to quench the thirst of blood. However, the mode of attacking their prey is different in the Vampire Diaries because the vampires do not need to attack their prey in a cruel manner. According to their mode of attacking, they attack individuals that they do not have a relationship with or those that they do not care about (The Vampire Diaries film). For instance, it is exceedingly difficult for the vampires to attack and kill close friends and relatives. This indicates a change in the manner, in which, the modern vampires tend to attack their prey. In most modern cases, modern vampires do not kill their target; this is an indication of humanistic consideration. Hence, the vampires are now usually filled with compassion before acting.
Furthermore, in the Vampire Diaries, modern vampires are characterized by the capacity to influence and hinder other vampires from attacking. Instead of combining forces in attacking a certain human in order to obtain blood, the vampires help fellow vampires in controlling their urge (The Vampire Diaries film). This is not the case in the Dracula as the vampires tend to act without any controlling force. This indicates that the modern vampires are changing their monstrosity and are now portrayed as normal beings.
Conclusion
The characteristics that were formerly given to vampires are now changing and vampires are now changing their monstrosity making them become portrayed as normal human beings. In the Dracula, vampires are usually depicted to have the characteristic of blood-thirst, which they are not capable of controlling. However, this is a traditional characteristic of vampires, which the modern vampires do not possess. In the Vampire Diaries, which is a representation of modern vampires, the vampires are portrayed to have the characteristic of controlling the urge of feasting on blood. The vampires are capable of interacting with human beings and providing care for them (Senf 53). This relationship between the vampires and normal humans has led to the portraying of vampires as having the characteristics of a normal being. In the Dracula, it is difficult for vampires to engage in a group of normal individuals and participate in normal activities that humans can engage in such as partying together and leading a common life together. However, this is not the case in the Vampire Diaries. In the Vampire Diaries, the vampires have the ability to engage in different activities that humans engage in without any problem, despite interacting with the normal human beings. The Dracula portrays vampires as creatures that are not capable of living together with humans because, in the film, the vampires are portrayed to live in environments that normal human resides. On the other hand, the Vampire Diaries portray vampires as having the capacity to live together with humans.
Works Cited
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
Statesboro, G. Andrew. Dracula Vs. The Modern Vampire, 2012. Print.
Dracula. Browning, Tod. Universal Pictures, 1931. Film.
The Vampire Diaries. Williamson and Plec, Julie. The CW Network, 2009. Film.
Smith, L J. Moonsong. London: Hodder Children’s, 2012. Print.
Senf, Carol A. The Vampire in Nineteenth-Century English Literature. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2008. Print.
