Dracula (novel)

Dracula (吸血鬼ドラキュラ,) is the gothic novel upon which countless adaptations are based on, including Hellsing.

It was published in May 1897 by Archibald Constable and Company in London. Doubleday later published an American edition in 1899. Later in 1930, Universal Studios purchased the rights to make a film version, and spawned multiple film series about the novel; rarely which, it's accurately adapted with minor or significant changes made.

Summary
Dracula comprises journal entries, letters, and telegrams written by the main characters. It begins with Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, as he travels to Transylvania. Harker plans to meet with Count Dracula, a client of his firm, in order to finalize a property transaction. When he arrives in Transylvania, the locals react with terror after he discloses his destination: Castle Dracula. Though this unsettles him slightly, he continues onward. The ominous howling of wolves rings through the air as he arrives at the castle.

When Harker meets Dracula, he acknowledges that the man is pale, gaunt, and strange. Harker becomes further concerned when, after Harker cuts himself while shaving, Dracula lunges at his throat. Soon after, Harker is seduced by three female vampires, from whom he barely escapes. He then learns Dracula’s secret—that he is a vampire and survives by drinking human blood. Harker correctly assumes that he is to be the Count’s next victim. He attacks the Count, but his efforts are unsuccessful. Dracula leaves Harker trapped in the castle and then, along with 50 boxes of dirt, departs for England.

Protagonists

 * Abraham Van Helsing
 * A doctor, professor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist and metaphysics, Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a well-known genius who had decades of experience and education; in which, he's an expert in vampires, which comes in handy when John Seward, his student was in-need of help to assist with the mysterious illness of Lucy Westenra. Thinking about the time when Seward saved his life - a favor he won't forget and is hoping to return it back, Abraham immediately went to England to try and save Lucy - however, failed to do. But, his expertise in vampires was able to save poor Mina Harker from Dracula's curse, and he's the genius behind the plan to end Dracula once, and for all.


 * Jonathan Harker
 * A recently qualified solicitor from Exeter, Jonathan Harker is soon tasked with helping the mysterious Count Dracula who wanted to move to England. Unbeknownst to Harker, this was all planned for Dracula to leave him alone with the three Brides of his as a food. Soon, Harker is taken as prisoner by the Count who leaves for London to spread his curse all over England. Fortunately for Harker, he managed to escape from Castle Dracula and finds refugee at a convent. With the help of the nuns, he sends a letter to Mina Murray, his fiancée of his appearance.


 * Mina Harker
 * A young schoolmistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra. Unfortunately for Mina Harker, Dracula took notice of the plot against him so in turn, bites onto Mina at least three times; afterwards, feeding Mina with her own blood, in which dooms Mina to become a vampire. However, Van Helsing found a telepathic link to the Count in Mina and used this against the horrid Count who escapes to Transylvania.


 * John Seward
 * The first of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, John Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Befriended and had saved Van Helsing's life, Van Helsing vows to offer Seward help with any difficulties as he is much grateful for his assistance. Aiding Van Helsing would prove one of the smartest move Seward had done; as for this, Dracula is finished once and for all.


 * Quincey Morris
 * The second of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, Quincey Morris is a rich young American from Texas; carrying a bowie knife all the time. During the final confrontation with the Count, Morris sacrificed himself in order to struck Dracula with his bowie knife in the heart; in doing so, Morris was gravely injured and passes away. Out of respect for his former friend, Harker names his son after his comrade.


 * Arthur Holmwood
 * The third and final of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, Arthur Holmwood is the only son of Lord Goldaming- a wealthy aristocrat. Throughout the novel, Holmwood's father dies, so he inherits his father's title as "Lord Godalming." Through his wealth, the group of Vampire Hunters is able to fund the operation and money necessary to defeat the Vampire Lord. While he was chosen by Lucy Westenra over the others that proposed to her, Holmwood was faced into a painful task to finish off Westenra who had become an undead.

Main Antagonist

 * Count Dracula
 * Main antagonist of the novel, Count Dracula is the mysterious vampire king whom set out to spread his undead curse in all of England. At the time the novel takes place, Count Dracula was said to have a "child-brain" by Professor Van Helsing, a reference not to lack of reasoning ability but only his ignorance (at the time) of how far his powers extended. This is possibly was what allowed Helsing to defeat and dominate him in the end. In addition, at one point his costume is said to include white gloves, and his personality, as revealed by the patient Renfield, paints him as an (often smiling) man of action rather than words.


 * However, even at the development stage, it is implied that the Count Dracula was incredibly powerful, as shown by Walter's comment during the invasion of Hellsing by the Valentine Brothers: "Compared with what the first Sir Hellsing had to deal with a century ago, this is hardly what I'd call a pinch." In the novel his powers included the following:


 * The ability to drink blood and grow stronger, like a leech, as stated by John Harker, as well as the immorality that comes with it. (although Alucard is not immortal he is very hard to kill as Integra Fairbrook Wingates Van Helsing states in the ova "take off his head, cut out his heart, blow him too bits! do you really think you could kill a thousand year old king of vampires.")
 * The Count as well as his brides can turn into an immaterial dust then reform (often into a swirling image with red eyes). Dracula is also able to become a black mass of shadows with red eyes intersperced throughout, which then is changes into a large pack of rats.
 * Is able to go out during the day but in a weakened (semi-human) state.
 * Can make fog, as well as other natural elements, to some degree.
 * Can change into a wolf or bat, as well as command them. These are his restriction levels (he can aslo turn into his different bodies he has used over his life time. As seen in the ova fight with Walter)
 * The ability to hypnotize people, usually his prey, to some degree.
 * During a briefing Van Helsing tells those involved that though a vampire's physical strength is not infinite, it is great enough that one should avoid making any contact with them.

Connection to Hellsing
As said in the manga during Alucard's return to London, he previously sailed in on a Russian Ship known as the Demeter. In addition, in a flashback van Hellsing, having defeated Alucard, made mention of the mark of a communion wafer on "her" head. This is a reference to Mina Harker, whose blood was taken by Dracula and who took his blood into herself, the sign of which is shown when a communion waffer (a holy object) touched to her head burned it. Mina's remains were later acquired by Millennium and used to create their artificial vampires.

Moreover, when the Hellsing series' creator Kohta Hirano was asked about Hellsing being a homage to the famous "Dracula" novel created by Bram Stoker, Hirano said that it's not a sequel or anything, but in Hellsing's world, the events of Stoker's novel took place.

Hellsing's connection to the 1992 movie adaptation of the novel
While it's been said that the novel took place in Hellsing, there are some elements in which, Kohta Hirano had placed which he clearly took from the movie adaptation, like Dracula's transformation for example; in the novel, it's not very clear how Dracula was turned into a vampire, however, in the movie, Dracula denounced God after his wife had been tricked into thinking that Vlad, had died; and therefore, committed suicide. In a fit of rage, Vlad went berserk at his wife's funeral, and then, slashes the cross in which; blood pours out of it, and drinks from it. This is very similar in Hellsing, however, Vlad had no wife; therefore, when he got captured by the Ottoman Empire, he felt betrayed as he did everything, protected Christian for God; therefore, denounced God and licks the blood of his men that was on the floor, and was beheaded; shortly before awakening afterwards and slaying the Ottomen and drunk the blood of his men.

Moreover, Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing said that Dracula once came into England in-search of a woman he desires - to which, similarly to the movie, where Dracula falls in love with Mina Harker, thinking that she's the reincarnation of his wife; and therefore, found that he desires her, whom turns out to be Jonathan Harker's wife and in the end of the movie; Dracula was beheaded by Mina, who told her to do so when she refused. In the novel however, Dracula doesn't fall in love with Mina but instead, his main goal was to just; spread his undead curse across England.

Trivia

 * At one point, after Lucy Westenra's "death," Van Helsing begins to laugh, and when questioned explains that he laughs at the fallacies of others "Because I know." The monologue, in that the character explains their apparent insensitivity, is similar to the speech Alucard gives to Integra, "Because I am a monster."
 * The image of Alucard kneeling over the ground and licking up the blood is probably inspired by an identical stance taken by his servant Renfield at one point in the novel.