Archetypes In Dracula
The Mother Figure: This is represented by Mina Harker. She provides support to the characters when they are distressed, and when they need guidance. This aspect of her character is seen as she provides a ‘shoulder to cry on’ to both John Seward, Arthur Holmwood and Quincey Morris, in order to allow them to grieve for the mutual loss of Lucy. She is also what motivates the men to defeat Dracula, which they do to protect her purity.
The Sage/Mentor: This archetype is portrayed by Van Helsing. He is a character who acts as the mentor to the other characters, introducing them and teaching them about the existence of the supernatural, vampires in particular. Van Helsing was also previously an actual teacher to Dr. John Seward and thus is a person who is looked at for guidance.
The Villain: This archetype is one that is portrayed by Dracula himself. Dracula wants to take over London to begin his plan for world dominance. He has a greed for power over other individuals and sees himself as the higher and more powerful creature on the planet. He also continuously interrupts the lives or journey of the other characters, creating obstacles that they must overcome.
The Loss of Innocence: Innocence is something that is held by all of the characters, except both Dracula and Van Helsing, in the beginning of the book. But as the story progresses, the characters are exposed to the truth of a supernatural existence who is a predator to Humans. At first characters are exposed to unexplainable events, such as Lucy’s sudden blood loss, but eventually Van Helsing informs them of the existence of vampires. This new knowledge shatters the innocence that allowed the characters to be ignorant.
Life, Death, and Rebirth: In Dracula, the archetype of life, death, and rebirth is common, especially in when a new vampire is being created. The humans that Dracula targets are living and are healthy, but then due to Dracula sucking their blood, the humans die. When a human dies they do not come back to life, but with the vampirism that Dracula provides his victims they are reborn as vampires. This is seen when Lucy progresses from human to vampire.
The Sage/Mentor: This archetype is portrayed by Van Helsing. He is a character who acts as the mentor to the other characters, introducing them and teaching them about the existence of the supernatural, vampires in particular. Van Helsing was also previously an actual teacher to Dr. John Seward and thus is a person who is looked at for guidance.
The Villain: This archetype is one that is portrayed by Dracula himself. Dracula wants to take over London to begin his plan for world dominance. He has a greed for power over other individuals and sees himself as the higher and more powerful creature on the planet. He also continuously interrupts the lives or journey of the other characters, creating obstacles that they must overcome.
The Loss of Innocence: Innocence is something that is held by all of the characters, except both Dracula and Van Helsing, in the beginning of the book. But as the story progresses, the characters are exposed to the truth of a supernatural existence who is a predator to Humans. At first characters are exposed to unexplainable events, such as Lucy’s sudden blood loss, but eventually Van Helsing informs them of the existence of vampires. This new knowledge shatters the innocence that allowed the characters to be ignorant.
Life, Death, and Rebirth: In Dracula, the archetype of life, death, and rebirth is common, especially in when a new vampire is being created. The humans that Dracula targets are living and are healthy, but then due to Dracula sucking their blood, the humans die. When a human dies they do not come back to life, but with the vampirism that Dracula provides his victims they are reborn as vampires. This is seen when Lucy progresses from human to vampire.