Amongst the most popular horror icons ever conceived, Bram Stoker’s titular Dracula is perhaps one of the most widely known and universally portrayed. Since the novel’s first publication in the year 1897, Count Dracula has become a cultural icon all over the world, spawning everything from films and stage plays to spin-offs and stories inspired by the original. However, not every adaptation of Count Dracula has been entirely accurate, and the character has never truly been understood by all who have heard of him. The most basic essence of Count Dracula has been that of evil; the name itself has become synonymous with “devil” or even “villain.” But what so many have failed to take into account is the narrative style perpetrated by Bram Stoker, which relies entirely on other characters to describe Count Dracula’s character. Over the years, the novel has been frequently analyzed by critics for its statements about sexual conventions, giving the novel more metaphorical depth. When one steps into the shoes of the Count, however, the man’s true identity no longer appears to be as obvious or simple as previously indicated. Because of this, it is clear that Count Dracula is not the evil monster that he has so long been painted as, but rather a product of a different world than the rest of society. Any antagonistic character is bound to be labeled a villain, but Stoker’s Dracula is one such “villain” that has never been fairly analyzed.
	At its most basic, Stoker’s Dracula is a tale about a small group of men and women who attempt to stop a monster from wreaking havoc on the inhabitants of England. Most people who have not read the novel but who are familiar with the Count Dracula character likely see him as an archetypal bad guy or villain. This is because the Count, usually referred to simply as Dracula, has been portrayed in countless mediums since the novel’s publication over a century ago. Stoker’s novel has also inspired others to write vampire-themed novels—authors such as Anne Rice or Richard Matheson, as well as direct adaptations of the original novel itself (which may or may not retell the Dracula mythos verbatim). A similar phenomenon has befallen Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the antagonist of which has been portrayed in several different formats as well. Victor Frankenstein’s creation, which is never given a proper name in the original story, is referred to in Shelley’s novel as the “creature” or “demon,” but is often mistakenly referred to as “Frankenstein” after the novel’s title. Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula are considered two “classic movie monsters” or horror characters due to their appearances in various horror and Halloween-themed books, films, television shows, and other such sources.	Simply put, Dracula has become a cultural icon whose qualities are not entirely based on Bram Stoker’s novel.
	Considering the immense popularity of the Dracula character, most contemporary readers of Stoker’s novel begin reading with a pre-existing idea of who Dracula is. Unfortunately, as evidenced by Dracula’s status as a cultural icon throughout the world, the Count has not always been fairly portrayed. In the novel’s second chapter, Jonathan Harker described his first meeting with the Count upon reaching the castle: “Within, stood a tall old man, clean-shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere.” Though most adaptations have portrayed Dracula as a pale man draped in dark black clothing, very rarely do they include the facial hair specifically mentioned in the novel. Though Stoker uses the technique of unreliable narrators, it is very unlikely that Harker would mistake a feature as prominent as a “long white moustache.” Additionally, the most popular portrayers of Dracula are usually men no older than middle-aged, with dark black hair to match the common attire. Although the Count’s physical features are generally less important aspects of his character, one can see how modern readers can become confused upon reading Stoker’s novel for the first time. 
