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Dracula always seems a bit frightening. Vampires, stakes through hearts, all that blood and gore. Turns out there might be some basis for that! Check out Jan Adkins news about the real Dracula - you'll be running back to the movie version in no time. |
English/Language Arts
Explore genre: historical fiction
Most accounts agree than Bram Stoker, author of the fictional book Dracula borrowed at the very least the name Dracula from the historical warlord Vlad III, and some accounts suggest other historical details influenced the story. What other stories can students find that have some basis in truth? What attributes must be present to qualify as historical fiction?
Social Studies
Explore the Middle Ages and the Ottoman Empire
Vlad III Dracula, aka Vlad the Impaler, reigned during a period of great instability as Christians fought Muslims in a struggle between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires. The perception of Vlad III in Romanian and Bulgarian history is as hero, while in Turkey and Western Europe, the accounts portray him as a monster. Have students look at historical figures from different perspectives. The losing side often sees the winning side’s leaders very differently.
Explore world geography
Take a look at the maps of the Middle Ages, in particular the maps of Turkey, Hungary and Wallachia c. 1400 (Wikimedia has one here). Why was Wallachia such a strategic place for both the Ottoman and Austrian Empires? Compare it to a modern map of western Europe. What countries do you see that have similar characteristics that make them vulnerable to competing ideologies?
Explore the influence of the printing press on historical perspective
Vlad III’s reign coincides with the invention and initial uses of the moveable type printing press, Have students explore the connection between the stories about Vlad III Dracula and the printing press.
Explore genre: historical fiction
Most accounts agree than Bram Stoker, author of the fictional book Dracula borrowed at the very least the name Dracula from the historical warlord Vlad III, and some accounts suggest other historical details influenced the story. What other stories can students find that have some basis in truth? What attributes must be present to qualify as historical fiction?
Social Studies
Explore the Middle Ages and the Ottoman Empire
Vlad III Dracula, aka Vlad the Impaler, reigned during a period of great instability as Christians fought Muslims in a struggle between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires. The perception of Vlad III in Romanian and Bulgarian history is as hero, while in Turkey and Western Europe, the accounts portray him as a monster. Have students look at historical figures from different perspectives. The losing side often sees the winning side’s leaders very differently.
Explore world geography
Take a look at the maps of the Middle Ages, in particular the maps of Turkey, Hungary and Wallachia c. 1400 (Wikimedia has one here). Why was Wallachia such a strategic place for both the Ottoman and Austrian Empires? Compare it to a modern map of western Europe. What countries do you see that have similar characteristics that make them vulnerable to competing ideologies?
Explore the influence of the printing press on historical perspective
Vlad III’s reign coincides with the invention and initial uses of the moveable type printing press, Have students explore the connection between the stories about Vlad III Dracula and the printing press.
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
