Custom essays on In what ways does “murder” figure in Dracula and Sweeney Todd?

The cruelty of the historical personality of Vlad Dracula knew no bounds: according to legend, once he impaled 10 000 people at once – the entire population of a small town, which owed him two small silver coins for the collection of taxes. But after that the rest were paying properly – he said smiling. He burned people alive in their homes, fed corpses of conspirators to cancers, and then treated their families with these cancers. He liked to dine in the hall with the corpses of his enemies sit around him at the table with their throats cut with cups of wine in their dead hands.
Even comparing to ruthless Turks, who were his enemies, Dracula was incredibly cruel and cynic. His deeds became legends. Dracula was nicknamed Ţepeş (the Impaler) because his favorite method of execution was impalement. It is known that he sometimes had dinner in the courtyard of his castle, surrounded by such a palisade. According to some reports, during the rule of Dracula almost a third of the population of his country died in agony at the pale. In addition, Dracula practiced burning alive, rupturing bellies, excoriation, rack and other methods of killing people. There are also data about his sadistic inventions, for example, the nailing of ambassadors’ hats to their heads. Terrible Vlad once punished his effeminate courtiers, having arranged a ball, at which the floor of the hall contained hidden hatches leading into the pit with pales.
The historical evidence described Vlad Dracula as cunning cruel monster and at the same time a fearless and ruthless warrior. While in prison, the Impaler entertained himself by catching mice and rats and putting them through small executions, as well as by devouring the flies.
In 1474, the Prince-maniac was killed in an ambush – his severed head was drenched in honey and sent to Istanbul to the Turkish Sultan, and his body was buried in the family vault. The story was ended for five hundred years until the English writer Bram Stoker published the novel, which introduced Vlad as immortal vampire who drinks human blood.
“Dracula” was released in 1897 and brought Bram Stoker immediate and resounding success, and eventually established on the pedestal of the most famous horror story in world literature. Roman endured countless editions, was translated into all major languages, served as the basis for several stage adaptations and numerous screenings – starting from the Russian film “Dracula” (1920), followed by the famous “Nosferatu: Symphony of horror” by Friedrich Murnau (1922), “Dracula” by Tod Browning (1931), “Dracula” by Terence Fisher (1958), “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” by Francis Ford Coppola (1992), as well as many sequels and movies, indirectly developing plot motifs of the novel. The book was adapted into 84 horror films made at various times, which earned a total of about a billion dollars.
This novel is the most famous and the now classic tale of vampires.

The whole book is sustained in the “documentary” style – it consists of letters and diaries of the characters. The novel starts with the arrival to Dracula of Jonathan Harker, a young attorney of a law firm, which sold the count the house in London. Then Dracula arrives in England, and among the main actors appear Mina, Harker’s fiancée, Dr. Wang Helzing an expert on vampires due from Holland, and Dr. Seward, the owner of a psychiatric hospital (Stoker, 2007).
Years ago, Transylvania was defending against raids of Turks who wanted to subdue almost the whole continent. Robbery, looting and destruction were brought along with their army. Dracula was a great warrior who knew no defeat, fiercely defended his country. One day, a decisive battle was expected, from which hardly anyone would come back alive. Among the brave soldiers was Dracula, who, despite the danger, decided to defend his country till the end. Even his love for his beautiful fiancée did not stop him, and he rushed into the battle. Fierce was the battle, but having huge losses, Dracula defeated his enemies and remained alive.
Vlad Dracula burned villages, in which Turks were hiding. Having visited in younger years the barbaric East, his psyche was struck by the scenes of agonizing tortures. One day, after another Turkish massacre on the Romanian land, he ordered to the jerk all Muslim prisoners up to the pales (the pale passed through the belly, not touching vital organs), after that the private army of Dracula caught all the governors and subordinates of the Sultan in Transylvania and did the same with them (as well as their wives and children). The vast hilly field was stuffed with dead bodies hanging on pales. Stench resounded for miles, and the Count himself dined quietly in the company of decaying Turkish soldiers. Sultan did not wish to continue the war with Dracula, saying that it was impossible to fight with the person who did such things (Stoker, 2007).
With joy, he returned home, looking forward to a happy life with his beloved. Unfortunately, his dreams could not come true. Insidious Turks had sent a letter to his fiancée, stating that the count was killed. Stricken with grief, the countess committed suicide by throwing out the castle window. Meanwhile, Dracula returned and learned of the death of his beloved, cursed everything he believed in and renounced God, swearing to take revenge on the world for his grief.
Since then the centuries passed. In the 19th century, a young lawyer Jonathan Harker had to travel to Transylvania, to the estate of some Dracula, who decided to buy a mansion in London. Harker had t arrange the deal and settle any inaccuracies in the matter. With joy he agreed to this deal, because it promised him the career advancement and increased salary. And he really needed money, because he was soon to marry his beloved Mina. But what he would face in the Count’s mansion would forever change the lives of not only Mina and Jonathan, but also of many other people who live in London.
The famous Count of Transylvania decided to suspend the time of oblivion and moved to London where he meets a charming girl Mina, who reminded him of his previous beloved Elizabeth. Dracula fell in love with the girl, but his vampire nature manifested, and he drinks with blood of the innocent being (Stoker, 2007).