Dracula

Key Characters

• Count Dracula: The central antagonist, Dracula is an ancient Transylvanian nobleman and vampire who desires to leave his isolated castle and spread his undead curse in the bustling streets of London. Described as tall and thin with a long white mustache, aquiline nose, pointed ears, and sharp teeth, he possesses supernatural abilities including superhuman strength, the power to transform into mist or a bat, command over certain animals, and the ability to climb walls. Intelligent, cunning, and aristocratic, he represents the intersection of the primitive past and decadent nobility, embodying a threat to both the social and spiritual order of Victorian England.
• Jonathan Harker: A young English solicitor sent to Castle Dracula to finalize the Count's real estate purchases in London. His initial naivety regarding Dracula gives way to horror as he discovers his client's true nature and escapes the castle. After recovering from his traumatic experience, he becomes a determined vampire hunter, contributing his legal knowledge to track Dracula's properties and participating in the final destruction of the Count. Harker represents Victorian rationality and propriety confronted with ancient supernatural evil.
• Mina Harker (née Murray): Jonathan's fiancée and later wife, Mina embodies the ideal Victorian woman with her intelligence, compassion, and moral strength. Working as an assistant schoolmistress, she demonstrates modern capabilities through her typing skills and organizational abilities. After Dracula feeds on her and forces her to drink his blood, creating a psychic connection between them, she becomes both vulnerable and crucial to the vampire hunters' mission. Her partial corruption by Dracula represents the novel's central spiritual battle, with her ultimate salvation symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
• Professor Abraham Van Helsing: A Dutch physician, philosopher, and metaphysician who serves as the group's mentor in their battle against Dracula. Combining modern medical knowledge with an understanding of folklore and superstition, Van Helsing bridges the gap between science and the supernatural. His broken English and occasional humor contrast with his role as the group's spiritual and intellectual leader. He represents the necessary integration of ancient wisdom with modern knowledge to combat evil.
• Dr. John Seward: A psychiatrist who runs a sanatorium near Dracula's Carfax estate. His scientific rationality initially blinds him to the supernatural nature of Lucy's condition. Seward keeps detailed records on a phonograph, providing a substantial portion of the novel's narrative. As one of Lucy's rejected suitors, his grief over her death and subsequent undead state motivates his participation in the vampire hunters' quest.
• Lucy Westenra: Mina's beautiful, vivacious friend who becomes Dracula's first victim in England. Her susceptibility to sleepwalking makes her vulnerable to Dracula's initial attacks. After her death and transformation into a vampire, she becomes the 'Bloofer Lady' who preys on children. Her corruption from innocent maiden to seductive undead represents the novel's themes of sexuality and moral corruption, while her destruction provides the template for the vampire hunters' later confrontation with Dracula.
• Arthur Holmwood (Lord Godalming): Lucy's fiancé who inherits his father's title during the course of the novel. His wealth and social connections prove valuable to the vampire hunters' cause. He demonstrates both emotional vulnerability in his grief for Lucy and physical courage in the confrontation with Dracula, personally driving the stake through Lucy's heart to free her soul.
• Quincey Morris: An American from Texas who was one of Lucy's suitors. Characterized by his frontier courage, practical skills, and distinctive Americanisms, he provides physical strength and determination to the group. His sacrifice in the final battle with Dracula, where he is mortally wounded while delivering the fatal blow to the vampire, represents the novel's theme of necessary sacrifice in the battle against evil.
• Renfield: A patient in Dr. Seward's asylum who serves as a psychic connection to Dracula. His zoophagy (eating living creatures) and behavioral patterns reflect Dracula's activities. His moments of lucidity provide insight into Dracula's nature and intentions, particularly when he warns the group about Dracula's attacks on Mina. His death at Dracula's hands demonstrates the vampire's ruthlessness.