The Bloody Chamber

Before beginning the story, I wasn't sure what to expect. Believing it was just a horror story or something like that, I didn't realise it was a Dracula-type story until a few pages in! Throughout the story, it isn't difficult to notice the copious amounts of sexual connotations and it has, in my opinion, similar references to the story of Pandora's Box? Suggesting man's desire for curiosity and proves that once told not to do something, you want to do it more. The character of the blind piano tuner is a lovely character, his blindness perhaps symbolising his 'inner beauty' or his inner knowledge and lack of care for vanity. The female protagonist, though portrayed as a naive young 17 year old girl, to me seems more mature than the way her patronizing husband does. In my opinion, it's the french marquis's fault for leaving her with the set of keys in the first place, if he thinks of her like a child, then what does he expect? Of course she'll do what she isn't supposed to! He's merely tempting fate. Bit harsh as well chopping her block off for going into a room. Good story.

Draculaa

Before reading, I didn't really know what to expect from this novel- the ending or if the way it was written (in letter/diary entry forms), but was very pleasantly surprised. Throughout the beginning of the novel (the first few chapters of Jonathan Harkers journal), you can tell that other vampire-type stories were all inspired by Stoker. He writes about how the count doesn't eat, there are no mirrors in his castle and how aversed he is to crucifix's. I do like the references to Whitby, having been there myself I know they're obsessed with Dracula.
Dracula is described as well to be animalistic, like a 'lizard' scaling the castle, how his cape is like 'wings' and how he has a control over the howling wolves. I think Jonathan is an interesting character, writing truthfully of his fears and how he feels trapped like a prisoner.
With characters Lucy and Mina however, I find things all a bit too romantic. They live for getting married and having children and especially Lucy seems very naive and immature. Mina on the other hand I think changes considerably throughout the novel and her character really matures and grows by the end of the novel. This was probably my favourite read of the summer though!

Vlad The Bad

(1431-1476)

What a guy, what a moustache. Vlad the third, Prince of Wallachia (or Vlad the Impaler as he is more commonly known as), known for his resistance against the Ottoman Empire and of course, the impaling of his enemies. However, more importantly he is said to be the inspiration behind Gothic character, Dracula. Oddly enough, Vlad's surname 'Draculea' derived from his father 'Vlad II Dracul' is the inspiration behind the name of Stoker's classic.
So after being chucked off the throne twice and two wives, in Stoker's eyes, Vlad would stand out among others as one of the era's most notoriously evil rulers of the selected region. He was weird and obscure enough that few people to recognise his name, yet known to those for his acts of brutal cruelty.

Mysterious Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe 1564-1593

Christopher Marlowe, father of the blank verse, brother of English tragedy, son of a shoemaker, and overall, a pretty strange fella. Baptised on the 26th February 1564 he was two months the elder of peer William Shakespeare. Awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree on behalf of the Privy Council due to his 'good service' and 'faithful dealings' to the Queen.

When it came to religion, Marlowe was a but of a left-winged kind of guy. Although he apparently dismissed allegations that he was an atheist, he admitted he did not believe in God. After Marlowe's friend Thomas Kyd gave up a few depositions (under torture none the less), the Privy Council began to 'keep an eye' on Marlowe, and investigated some serious charges made against Marlowe before his career in stage-writing abruptly came to an end. In fact, after Marlowe's death, Puritan Thomas Beard (The Theatre of God's Judgements) used Marlow's death as 'one of his warning examples of the vengeance of God'.

Despite being considered an extravagant gentleman, tobacco smoker and a homosexual, Marlowe was much more popular in his time than fellow play write, Shakespeare. His considered 'four great plays' include Dr Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta, an the historic epic, Edward the Second.

In Dr Faustus, his religious views came across strongly. Christian values persist the idea of forgiveness, yet at the final climax of the play, though the protagonist repents, his forgiveness is dismiss and he is ripped apart by the devil himself. It is said though, that the splendor within the story reflected that of the hierarchy of the 16th century, though the horror- perhaps not.

Marlowe's death in any case is an intriguing and strange subject. After being stabbed to death on the 30th May 1593. his death went undocumented, giving no real explanation for his death. Some say it was an assassination by the Privy Council, some say it was a drunken brawl between punters at a pub. However recent reports suggest that his actions before death may have attributed to his untimely death. Evidence shows he spent time with other suspected spy's. During late afternoon, he found himself in a squabble with Frizer who attacked Marlowe in 'self-defence' and stabbed Marlowe around his eye. Frizer was later pardoned, and Marlowe lies in an unmarked grave.

So what can we say about Marlowe? An outrageous and outlandish fellow who paved the way for the blank verse, yet was a private and secretive chap who found himself at a grim, bloody and unfortunate end to his mercilessly undocumented life. What can be said for him however, is that he lead the way for another important man in the history of literature. Marlowe set him in the right direction and influenced his work to a degree of genius, William Shakespeare.

Nosferatu

Bangin' film, loved it.
Quick background info: Nosferatu was made in 1921 and released in 1922. It is an adaptation of Bram Stokers 'Dracula', but when it was made, there were a variety of legal problems which caused the film to be slightly different to THE 'Dracula'. (Such as the word Nosferatu replacing the word vampire, and character Jonathan Harker being named Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu instead.)
The landscape and setting is underground, almost subterranean, which has not only a spooky affect as it is concealed and hidden, also could have an alternate meaning, think underground-where the dead are buried? But it also offers 'obstacles' in Hutter's pathway, creating a sense of unknown and the unexpected.
Talking of the unknown, there is a sense of supernatural in the silent thriller, Nina and her husband are aware of each other and when Renfield is in town, the old vamp 'knows'. 'The Unknown' could also refer to the idea that the audience knows that it is the vampire that is killing the people, yet Hutter doesn't know, creating dramatic irony.

Can I just say, I LOVE THIS GOTHIC STUFF. IT'S BELTING.

Setting in the Gothic

Ok, so from what I've seen of everyone else's blogs, looks like you all have blogged on 'The Castle Of Otranto', I think I must have missed something there (?) therefore, I will just blog about the setting found in a typical Gothic story or film.
The architecture in a Gothic fiction will be presented as large, grand buildings with unique characteristics such as pointed arches and tall spires. They would have been the monument of the city prior the 20th century, and would have been the skyscrapers of their time. Objects in the places such as candle arbores, creaking wooden doors and stone walls all add to the feel of a creepy Gothic building.
Weather is crucial to the setting of a Gothic fiction. Lightening, thunder and heavy rain is a regular occurrence, creating pathetic fallacy adding to the atmosphere of the point in the fiction. For example in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, when Victor Frankenstein's mother dies in childbirth, the weather outside is chaotic, and in the film adaptation, lightening strikes a tree causing it to be destroyed. Another aspect of this, is that Gothic fiction is very dark, and events often take place at night to add to the horror and suspense.

American Gothic by Steph

American Gothic - Grant Wood

I know this is really sad, but I feel the need to clear up something from last lesson. When Mr F put on the board a handful of pictures that we had to explain why they were Gothic, he put up the painting called American Gothic by Grant Wood (above). Just to clear it up, this isn't actually a typical Gothic painting. It was painted in 1942, Wood was captivated by the simple Gothic-style house (in the background of the painting) in a town he visited called Iowa. He actually used his sister and his dentist as the subjects. He made this painting as a homage to-down to-earth Puritan dignity, found in small town America. Wood was actually part of the artistic movement of Regionalism (a form of realism common in North America). He derived similar techniques (such as his crisp, firmly delineated and precisely modelled style)from the Gothic and early Renaissance masters he studied during the 1920's. Therefore, this painting is not considered 'Gothic'. If you look at Gothic painters, e.g Gentile da Fabriano or Gaddi their style focus's on vibrant colour, attention to detail and often very religious subjects.

So guys, I'm really sorry for being pedantic and whatnot, but I just had to have a say. So if you have a look at the real Gothic paintings from the middle-ages and compare it to today's idea of Gothic, it's very different.