Vlad the impaler biography summary of winston
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Dracula Myth vs Reality
Bram Stoker almost certainly encountered the name “Dracula,” but the novel's aristocratic vampire owes as much to Victorian theater, seaside holidays in Whitby, and broader gothic trends as to Vlad's biography. Vlad often had the stakes arranged in various geometric patterns.
Mircea II was an able military leader, and fought some successful yet small campaigns against the Ottomans prior to his capture along with his father in 1447. A veritable epidemic of vampirism swept through Eastern Europe beginning in the late seventeenth century and continuing through the 1700s.
There are several variants of Vlad III the Impaler's death. Despite Vlad achieving military victories, he had alienated himself from the nobility, which sided with Radu the Handsome.
Recent research by Miller and others suggests that Stoker knew little about the Prince of Wallachia.
Through constant retelling they have become somewhat garbled and confused and they have gradually been forgotten in later years. Vlad was referred to as Dracula in a number of documents of his times, mainly the Transylvanian Saxon pamphlets and The Annals of Jan Długosz.[2] Now primarily known as the name of a vampire, "Dracula" was for centuries known as the sobriquet of Vlad III.
The old Romanian word for serpent (Cf. Wikipedia, Map of The Ottoman Empire 16-17 century (source)
11. One of the most famous woodcuts of the period shows Vlad the Impaler feasting amongst a forest of stakes and their grisly burdens outside Braşov, while a nearby executioner cuts apart other victims. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
In the film, Vlad/Dracula was played by Gary Oldman, and Elisabeta/Mina was played by Winona Ryder.[15]
Legacy
Elizabeth Miller has written:
Though many Westerners are baffled that a man whose political and military career was as steeped in blood as was that of Vlad Dracula, the fact remains that for many Romanians he is an icon of heroism and national pride.
Throughout his reign, Vlad systematically eradicated the old boyar class of Wallachia. Vlad's legacy, for better or for worse, became the subject of culture war. Vlad the Impaler is known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign as recorded in later chronicles. It is highly unlikely that a rival of Vlad’s would have reduced the number of Vlad's victims.
The truth may lie between the two; it is difficult to believe that he did not commit any atrocities, that no cruelty really lies behind all the myths.