Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Killer Character Blogfest: Antagonist


     One of my all time favorite books is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The antagonist, Count Dracula, is a being with social power and money, not to mention the ability to assume the form of an animal, control the weather, and he’s stronger than twenty men. He can turn the living into the undead and preys on women in hopes of trapping men.



     There are plenty of stories with villains who have powers like these nowadays but the protagonists usually have some things to help them fight. The protagonists in this book have almost nothing. No magic, no powers, no technology. They are sadly ignorant as to what they are fighting and have to research all of the legend that we know from childhood (garlic, wooden stake, daylight) to even have a chance. And research in those days meant travel and libraries and folklore. It took months. None of this ‘google it’ stuff we do now.



     Dracula is a formidable villain because he is trying to expand his buffet, if you will, by traveling to crowded cities. Where he was a far-away threat before, he becomes a threat to all that the protagonist hold dear. And when the Count is able to take one of their dear ones the protagonists must steel themselves to kill her again.

The Dracula of the cinema could never hold a candle to the Dracula of literature.



I hope you all have bars on your bedroom windows.

18 comments:

  1. Creepy! How sad is it that I've never read Dracula? Even more sad is I have a copy sitting on my shelf. Great choice.

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  2. I just read Dracula for the first time this year... and I loved it! So gothic, dark and brooding... my favorite character was Van Helsing... I imagined a great, thick accent for him and really loved his cool headed wisdom and emotion.

    Hated the movie "Van Helsing" by the way... although I do love Hugh Jackman...

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  3. Totally creepy. Dracula is vampires done right. Great choice!

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  4. i love dracula! so cocky and commandimg!
    great choice & on the spirit of the season too!

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  5. Great choice. Not only is he one of the best antagonists, BUT it's suitable for Halloween! Dracula is creepy and awesome all at once. Great choice.

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  6. I need to read this book, need to read this book, need to read this book.

    Great choice from what I know about him.

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  7. Oh Dracula is one of the best Killer Characters. Love it.

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  8. I'm scared to death of Dracula, excellent choice!!

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  9. A recent pleasure of mine was discussing this book with my 15-year-old daughter who pronounced it 'awesome'.

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  10. I can't believe I haven't read Dracula yet. I really need to.

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  11. You couldn't be more right, the Dracula in literature is so much better!

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  12. Would bars on the windows really help against Dracula?

    The book is kind of odd, since a lot of it is told be journals and letters, and so after the fact.

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  13. You are on a roll with getting me interested in classics I've missed out on. Haven't read Dracula, but I think it's because as a child vampires totally freaked me out.

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  14. Great choice for an antagonist! I too have Bram Stoker's as my favorite version. I got a deluxe edition as a gift when I was like 13 or so and it fascinated me. i was very disappointed with the movie in the '90's, because to me Dracula was more about romance than about horror... But that's just me :) Good one!

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  15. Guilie, I think you're right! The Stoker version to me is about the protagonists and their willingness to work really hard, fight something that appears insurmountable, and never quit till they have saved those they love and the world in general.
    The movie versions are always about a fascination with a disgusting villain. Not the same story and it's mostly in the theme.

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  16. Great choice! Dracula is definitely a killer antagonist. He is downright scary-creepy in a charming-creepy way.

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  17. I just read and watched Dracula (the old, silent one I mean) for the first time last year; I don't know how I missed it. The movie was great, true, but the book?!? You're so right, the film Dracula is nothing next to the book Dracula. Talk about a creeper...

    And yeah, with modern tech? I would have been Googling that dude the very first letter. Forget going to his castle, nuh-uh, no way. Guess that would have made for a boring story though, lol.

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  18. Wait. . .are you saying that Bram Stoker's Dracula DOESN'T sparkle?

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