The Dark Mirror - Is Dracula a Metaphor for the Anti-Christ?

Primus in orbe Deos fecit Timor. The Latin proverb sums up, in six simple words a tenet which is perhaps the fundamental driving principle behind a host of literature which bears the mark of the Gothic. "Fear first made the gods in the world." Whether or not this is true is more a matter to be discussed by theologians. However, by taking a glance at any of the terror-inspiring works of Gothic fiction, realized by now-legendary wordsmiths like Shelley, Le Fanu, and Stoker, we find that the most horrifying creations do not make us simply worry for the fate of our body. These hunters amid the shadows make us worry for the fate of our very souls.

It is with that in mind that one may turn a questioning eye upon what may be the most singularly recognizable Gothic villain in the whole of literature; a creature of sinister malevolence, undying, nigh-invincible, and possessed not only of a baleful allure, but a mastery over any mortal who knows his kiss. Dracula, the vampire-king of the Bram Stoker of the same name, is perhaps the most frightening of any villain ever crafted in a work of fiction.

But why is this character, a nocturnal drinker of human blood, more frightening than any other depraved lunatic? Why does this protean force of shadowy might evince such a feeling of dread in the reader? Simply because, unlike many villains who may simply destroy all that stands in their path, Dracula calls for subjugation. Further, Dracula is not satisfied to control the body, but also craves dominion over the souls of the virtuous. This distinction calls to mind, and rightly so, the vision of a distinctly anti-Christian image; one which now, like it did over a century ago, causes a very human chill to run up the spine of every reader. This vision of dread malignance stands in sharp contrast to all that we find to be exalted in the image of Jesus Christ. By virtue of subtle articulation of Biblical canon, Stoker is able to imbue his night-walking terror with a more horrifying aspect, one which is sure to terrify for ages to come.