The figure of the vampire has been around for centuries and has lost none of its fascination.
Although the portrayal of the vampire in literature today has not much in common with its
historical origins the vampire belief is based on true events. Bram Stoker's novel Dracula
laid the foundation for the success story of the vampire. He created something sinister a
monster in the shape of a gentleman. The evil of the Victorian society was personified in the
form of the revenant. Boundaries between good and evil human and non-human death and life are
blurred and unrecognizable in his book. In contrast Anne Rice creates a world where humans and
vampires live next to each other. Her vampires resemble human beings not only in terms of their
bodies but also in terms of their minds. There is no horror detectable but amazement and
identification with the revenants by the reader. In this context the differentiation of the
constructed images of the vampires in the two novels Dracula by Bram Stoker and Interview with
the Vampire by Anne Rice is analyzed. Thereby the study investigates those elements that have
been adopted those ones that have developed over the time and the consequences that go along
with the manner of construction.
