Dracula

Dracula

by

Bram Stoker

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Dracula makes teaching easy.

Count Dracula

A Count living in a castle in the Carpathian mountains, near present-day Romania (or Transylvania), Dracula is a member of an ancient family of warriors, some of whom fought against the Huns, the Turks, and… read analysis of Count Dracula

Mina Harker

Harker's fiancée, and then wife, Mina tends to Lucy, her friend and Arthur's fiancée, during Lucy's illness; it then turns out that Lucy was preyed upon by Dracula. Mina, in turn, has her… read analysis of Mina Harker

Abraham Van Helsing

An eminent professor from Amsterdam, and a learned "man of science," Van Helsing was Seward's former teacher; Seward calls him to England to help with the case of Lucy. Van Helsing later leads the… read analysis of Abraham Van Helsing

Dr. Seward

The head of an insane asylum in London, which happens to sit next to Dracula's first English estate at Carfax, Seward was a former suitor of, and current friend to, Lucy, before her death… read analysis of Dr. Seward

Arthur Holmwood

Lucy's fiancé, Arthur is an English nobleman (Lord Godalming) of a somewhat nervous and emotional temperament. Van Helsing convinces Arthur that Arthur must stab Lucy in the heart to "free her" from her vampirism, and… read analysis of Arthur Holmwood
Get the entire Dracula LitChart as a printable PDF.
Dracula PDF

Lucy Westenra

Arthur's fiancée, Lucy is stricken by sleepwalking and then an unknown illness. As it turns out she is being stalked and her blood drunk by Dracula. Lucy is best friends with Mina, who wonders… read analysis of Lucy Westenra

Swales

An old man living in Whitby, the vacation spot where Lucy and Mina stay together, Swales jokes to the two young women about the unnecessary nature of cemeteries. He later recants his jokes when he… read analysis of Swales

Renfield

An insane man kept in Seward's institution, Renfield has a desire to gain the "life-force" of flies, spiders, birds, and cats, and later has a desire for blood—he promises to be Dracula's student, and… read analysis of Renfield
Minor Characters
Jonathan Harker
A young solicitor's assistant, who marries Mina after his terrible interactions with the Count in Transylvania. Harker believes his visions of the vampire are hallucinations, until he learns, from Van Helsing, that Dracula is really a vampire. Harker then helps in the group's efforts to find and kill Dracula.
Quincey Morris
A young gentleman from Texas, Morris is one of Lucy's former suitors; he dies, "gallantly," in the last effort to kill Dracula, as he is stabbed in the side by a gypsy protecting Dracula's wooden box.
Mrs. Westenra
Lucy's mother, Mrs. Westenra is in fragile health, and is killed by shock when Dracula, in the form of a wolf, plows through the window into Lucy's bedroom in England.
Nurse Agatha
A nurse who tended to Harker during his "nervous illness" in Budapest, after his visit to the Castle Dracula, Nurse Agatha communicates about Harker's condition with Mina via letter.
Captain of the Demeter
A sea captain who unknowingly transports Dracula to England, he eventually dies on his ship, ties himself to its wheel, and pilots the vessel, after his death, erratically into the Whitby port, where it becomes a local news sensation.
The Landlord and Landlady in Romania
Romanian peasants, the Landlord and Landlady warn Harker that it might be dangerous to visit Dracula at his castle; the Landlady begs him not to travel there, although Harker does anyway.
The Three Sisters
Three of Dracula's sisters, the Three Sisters are vampires and spirits who haunt Dracula's castle, and who wish to feed on Harker's blood before Harker is "saved" by Dracula—since Dracula wants the first "draw" of Harker's vital fluids for himself.
Arthur's Father
A sick nobleman, Arthur's father dies during Lucy's illness, keeping Arthur away from Lucy at crucial moments, as Dracula is feeding on her blood.
Hawkins
The head solicitor of Harker's firm, Hawkins considers Harker like a son, and later names Harker and Mina in his will—they inherit the large share of Hawkins' money, making Harker and Mina quite wealthy as young people.
Quincey Harker
The child of Mina and Harker, born on the day Quincey Morris died, Quincey Harker was named after Morris in memory of his heroism in fighting to "truly kill" Dracula.