Adaptation of Dracula: Gothic Drama Insights
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Maan PatelAdaptation of Dracula: Gothic Drama Insights
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Maan PatelYear 9 English
Drama Text Response
Text: Play Script adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Genre: Gothic/Horror
Purpose of Gothic / Horror Genre
The words gothic and horror describe a genre of entertainment which centres on dark, strange and
alarming events, and is intended to frighten its audience by bringing about the emotions of fear and
terror.
Writers achieve this by using familiar elements found in this genre.
Common Elements in Gothic / horror Genre
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is usually described in great detail and is just as important as the characters in
the story.
It is often dark, mysterious and threatening, and its intention is to create suspense and anxiety.
This anxious uncertainty builds up in the story until the climax is reached.
Good versus Evil
There is always a battle between two opposing forces, and it is primarily between good and evil.
Some examples include: Count Dracula and Professor Van Helsing in Dracula
Scrooge and his conscience in A Christmas Carol
Traditional Stereotypes
1. The protagonist is ordinary, likeable and relatable, and in most cases is male. The audience
sympathises with him because he is clever and logical, and shows initiative in treacherous
situations. He also has a life and a history outside the central story.
2. The antagonist drives the plot of the story. They are often supernatural or disturbed in some
way.
3. The first victim’s role is to expose the evil the protagonist will need to confront. The first victim
is ill-equipped and usually alone, so has no chance of survival.
4. The best friend and sceptic usually become victims.
5. The love interest is normally female and is the protagonist’s motivation to overcome the forces
of evil. She usually survives for the whole story.
6. Women tend to be helpless and weak or evil and dangerous.
Note:
Modern texts, have begun to change these traditional stereotypes. Some writers have placed a
woman in the role of lead protagonist, who is capable of taking control and fighting back.
Examples include, Ripley in Alien and Buffy in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Setting
In Horror, the setting is used to help create suspense and is often described in detail.
Usually, there are two types of setting in the horror genre:
The most natural settings are those that appear risky and intimidating, e.g. a dark, lonely road,
the cemetery of an old church, a haunted house.
The second is the conventional and familiar setting. Its purpose is to introduce an anomaly into
what the audience views as a normal setting, e.g. a quiet suburban street, a pretty and
unassuming cottage. The shock value is greater in this situation because it is more unexpected.
Characters
Characters in a horror story usually belong to two groups – the good and the evil.
There are two types of protagonist in the horror genre:
1. The character who is an innocent victim to an outer evil situation, e.g. Jonathan in
Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
2. The character whose personal way of thinking has created these horrors, e.g.
Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
The antagonists are often evil and come from strange and mysterious backgrounds. They are
superhuman in terms of their strength and ability to harm others.
Their intention is to violate society’s norms and conventions. They attempt to accomplish this by
threatening their intended victims in a variety of ways, be it physically, socially, spiritually or
morally.
Suspense
Anticipation creates suspense, and suspense plays off of fear which keeps the reader engaged
and interested in the story.
Good horror fiction spends more time building up the audience’s anticipation of violence
than it does showing it.
Dark Suspense is often found in this genre. It is intentionally ominous and creates the
feeling of dread, e.g. going outside at night to investigate a noise.
Clichés
Horror is full of clichés. Some familiar clichés include:
The derelict mansion
The house that is for sale too cheaply
The guy who sleeps all day and is up all night
The attic room that is always kept locked
Running through the woods in the dark
Note:
Modern writers of this genre are encouraged to steer clear of too many clichés as it can
make their work appear stale and predictable.
Common Themes
Horror deals with opposing forces, and the extremes of ideas and emotions.
Themes frequently explored in this genre include:
Good and evil
Life and death
Love and hatred
God and the Devil
The base and the best
Decay and rebirth
Humanity and malevolence
Innocence and treachery
Brief History of the Gothic/Horror Genre.
Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century
The gothic/horror genre can be traced back to ancient times, where themes of evil, death
and the afterlife were steeped in folklore and traditions.
Classical Antiquity (c. 8th century BC – 6th century AD)
Greek and Roman mythology is filled with stories of ghosts, monsters,
supernatural elements and the afterlife.
The Roman author Pliny the Younger (b. 61 AD), wrote a story about a haunted house in
Athens, where the ghost of an old man frightens everyone away.
Another Roman author, named Petronius (b. 27 AD), wrote about a soldier who takes off his
clothes during a full moon and turns into a werewolf.
Stories such as these inspired later European horror fiction. For example, Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein was inspired by the Greek myths of Prometheus (c.600 BCE) and Hippolytus
(428 BCE).
Eighteenth Century
This period saw a gothic revival in England. During this time, gothic romances began to be
published in the novel form.
The Castle of Ontario by Horace Walpole was published in 1764 and immediately became
Popular, and inspired other works in the same genre.
Common features in this form of literature included: medieval ruins
melodramatic settings
haunted castles
ancient monasteries
wild, untamed landscapes
delicate females
good versus evil
exotic figures
Nineteenth Century
The gothic genre developed into what we now know as the horror genre. Famous works during
this period include:
Hansel and Gretel (1812) by The Brothers Grimm
Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820) by Washington Irving
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) R. L. Stevenson
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker
All of these stories have endured to modern times.
Common questions
Powered by AIThe gothic horror genre's roots can be traced back to ancient times, influenced by Greek and Roman mythology filled with stories of ghosts and supernatural elements. Works by authors like Pliny the Younger and Petronius reflected early horror themes. In the 18th century, a gothic revival saw novels like 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole, featuring medieval ruins and haunted castles. The 19th century solidified the genre's transition into horror with enduring works such as 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley and 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker .
Historically, gothic horror antagonists have roots in folklore and myth, depicted as supernatural beings with mysterious backgrounds, such as ghosts in Pliny the Younger’s stories. As the genre evolved, these figures became more complex. Modern portrayals maintain their mystical origins but often delve deeper into psychological and moral ambiguity, presenting them with human emotions and internal conflicts, thus resonating more with modern audiences .
Suspense is a critical element in horror, created by anticipation which intensifies fear and keeps the reader engaged. The narrative often emphasizes the buildup to potential violence rather than the act itself, playing on the reader's imagination and dread. This dark suspense, such as investigating a noise at night, captures the audience's attention by creating a persistent feeling of unease .
Gothic horror narratives often center on the battle between good and evil, with characters representing opposing forces. For example, Count Dracula embodies evil against Professor Van Helsing's good in 'Dracula'. This thematic conflict can also be found in stories like 'A Christmas Carol', where Scrooge battles with his conscience .
In gothic horror, protagonists generally include innocent victims of an external evil, such as Jonathan in 'Dracula'. In contrast, characters like Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol' create horrors through their own actions and worldview. While Jonathan is a passive victim, Scrooge is a dynamic character whose personal reform impacts the horror narrative, highlighting a journey of self-discovery opposed to external confrontation .
Horror stories typically employ eerie settings such as dark, lonely roads or haunted houses, which naturally appear risky and intimidating. Alternatively, they might use conventional settings with anomalies, like a quiet suburban street. This contrast creates an unexpected shock effect, intensifying the suspense and engaging the audience .
The atmosphere in gothic and horror genres is meticulously described to elevate suspense and anxiety, embodying a dark, mysterious, and threatening aura. This atmosphere is as pivotal as the characters, contributing to the audience's feelings of fear and tension until the climax is reached .
Traditional stereotypes in gothic horror often depict women as either helpless and weak or evil and dangerous, while men, especially protagonists, are portrayed as clever and logical, facing treacherous situations with initiative. The love interest, typically female, serves as motivation for the male protagonist. However, modern texts have begun to challenge these stereotypes by featuring strong, capable female protagonists such as Ripley in 'Alien' and Buffy in 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' .
Modern writers are encouraged to avoid overuse of clichés like derelict mansions or locked attic rooms to prevent their work from seeming predictable and stale. By introducing fresh plots and unique settings, they maintain audience interest and relevance in a genre based heavily on surprise and suspense, thus allowing for more complex narratives that challenge the audience's expectations and keep the genre evolving .
Decay and rebirth are prevalent themes in gothic horror, signifying the cyclical nature of life and death, and the transformation often inherent to the genre's narrative arcs. These themes explore the dualities within human nature, societal collapse, and personal redemption, as evidenced in stories like 'Frankenstein', where the creation of life from death leads to moral and existential crises .