The Evolution Of The Vampire In Film and Television: From Beast To Beauty

This book presents an investigation of the modification and transformation of the vampire myth; contending that the modern vampire has evolved from a figure of fear to one of domestication and compassion. Researching into vampires and taking into account the historical evolution and contemporary significance this book will explore myth, repressed memories, desires and primordial images giving rise to the archetypal hero that is the modern vampire. Also explored in this book are the repressed fears and desires of oedipal origins, driven by the Freudian model of the mind. With reference to Sigmund Freud’s models and using Carl Jung’s framework, including the collective i. e. the Shadow, Id, Ego, Superego will be explored in order to investigate this change from ‘Beast to Beauty’. Studying cultural archetypes in relation to belief and historical evidence and following Freudian and Jungian approaches to psychoanalysis provides a pragmatic base for understanding the human psyche. In response, the following film and television representations of the vampire show the evolution from a figure of fear to a figure of compassion and domestication.