"All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."

#OTD in Stoker’s Dracula

My main character is still waiting for that answer, in case you’re wondering.
Jonathan Harker, however, seems to be losing his marbles.
—God preserve my sanity, for to this I am reduced. Safety and the assurance of safety are things of the past. Whilst I live on here there is but one thing to hope for, that I may not go mad, if, indeed, I be not mad already. If I be sane, then surely it is maddening to think that of all the foul things that lurk in this hateful place the Count is the least dreadful to me; that to him alone I can look for safety, even though this be only whilst I can serve his purpose. Great God! merciful God! Let me be calm, for out of that way lies madness indeed. I begin to get new lights on certain things which have puzzled me. Up to now I never quite knew what Shakespeare meant when he made Hamlet say:—
“My tablets! quick, my tablets!
‘Tis meet that I put it down,” etc.,
for now, feeling as though my own brain were unhinged or as if the shock had come which must end in its undoing, I turn to my diary for repose. The habit of entering accurately must help to soothe me.
If you want to read something nice about the usage of Shapeskeare in Dracula, I suggest you take a look here.
My favourite take on the subject, however, has to be Christy Desmet’s essay “Remembering Ophelia: Ellen Terry and the Shakespearizing of Dracula” in the excellent Shakespearean Gothic published by the Wales University Press.
architecture, engineering and construction

Eyes of the City: a dive back into 2019

I know I’m overdue two important posts, one on the Biennale in Venice and one on the Triennale here in Milan, but I’m still digesting many of the things I saw over there. More importantly, I’m working around the concept of adaptive and responsive architecture

Read More »
Pride Month

Pride Month 2025 – Story of the Day

Christina of Sweden: The Queen Who Refused to Be a Woman Crowned queen at the age of six and ruling in her own right by eighteen, Christina of Sweden stood as one of the most enigmatic and transgressive monarchs of the 17th century — a

Read More »
books and literature

Werewolves Wednesday: The Wolf-Leader (18)

A werewolf story by Alexandre Dumas père. Chapter XVIII: Death and Resurrection The cold morning air brought Thibault back to consciousness; he tried to rise, but the extremity of his pain held him bound. He was lying on his back, with no remembrance of what had

Read More »
Share on LinkedIn
Throw on Reddit
Roll on Tumblr
Mail it
No Comments

Post A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS

Eyes of the City: a dive back into 2019

I know I’m overdue two important posts, one on the Biennale in Venice and one on the Triennale here in Milan, but I’m still digesting many of the things I saw over there. More importantly, I’m working around the concept of adaptive and responsive architecture

Read More

Pride Month 2025 – Story of the Day

Christina of Sweden: The Queen Who Refused to Be a Woman Crowned queen at the age of six and ruling in her own right by eighteen, Christina of Sweden stood as one of the most enigmatic and transgressive monarchs of the 17th century — a

Read More

Werewolves Wednesday: The Wolf-Leader (18)

A werewolf story by Alexandre Dumas père. Chapter XVIII: Death and Resurrection The cold morning air brought Thibault back to consciousness; he tried to rise, but the extremity of his pain held him bound. He was lying on his back, with no remembrance of what had

Read More