Polidori's and Byron's Vampirism

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that John Polidori acknowledged that, for his book "The Vampyre", he drew on a number of themes and other elements in the formation of his own story of vampirism from Lord Byron's poem "Giaour". The author describes both works, which both involve a sort of outside observer, who becomes a biographer for the main character and gives the story a sense of authenticity. The paper concludes that the pattern set by Polidori for his protagonist Ruthven would become the norm for the vampire in fiction after this time, as witnessed with the future creation of the character Dracula.

From the Paper:

"Giaour is a stranger among people of a different culture, and Ruthven is also depicted as a stranger in the midst of London society. Polidori says that he is "remarkable for his singularities" and that he looks at the proceedings around him "as if he could not participate therein." This sense of being an outsider links the two characters from the first. Ruthven is invited everywhere because of his foreign-ness rather than in spite of it, and he is pursued by women like Lady Mercer because he is so prized and so different."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Byron, Lord. "The Giaour." In Three Oriental Tales, Alan Richardson (ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
• Polidori, John. "Vampyre." In Three Gothic Novels, E.F. Bleiler (ed.). New York: Dover, 1966.

More papers on Polidori's and Byron's Vampirism:

• Analytical Essay # 16582 : "The Precedents Set by John Polidori's "The Vampyre"
• Essay # 142434 : "Internal And External Design Validity Clinical Significance"
• Poem Review # 122257 : "Manfred" and the "Byronic Hero"

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