British Literature - Romantic & Gothic Elements

Flashcards covering key concepts of British Romanticism and Gothic Literature, with examples from 'Dracula'.

What is British Romanticism?

A new set of ideas, a mindset, and a way of feeling that emphasizes emotion in real life.

What shift did Romanticism see in relation to reason and senses?

A shift from faith in reason to faith in senses, feelings, and imagination.

What shift did Romanticism see in interest from urban to what?

A shift from interest in urban society to an interest in the rural and natural.

What is Gothic Literature?

Emergence in 18th-century Europe within the Romantic literary movement that Emphasis on intense emotion, combining terror with pleasure and death with romance.

What is a common theme in Gothic Literature?

A damsel in distress, usually depicted as a young and innocent woman imprisoned by a supernatural entity.

What is a crucial element in Gothic stories that adds suspense?

An ominous setting such as old ruins, haunted houses, and rundown monasteries.

What are the characteristics of Dracula as a complex hero?

He is not a typical villain but a tragic, tormented soul driven by grief and vengeance, retaining traces of humanity.

How are Mina and Lucy portrayed as damsels in distress?

Mina is torn between love and a supernatural connection, while Lucy is seduced, victimized, and transformed into a vampire.

What are some examples of extreme emotions in the film Dracula?

Dracula’s grief and rage, Mina’s conflicted love, and Van Helsing’s manic energy.

What creates an eerie and oppressive atmosphere in the film?

Dark castles, fog-shrouded London streets, and Lucy’s crypt.

What supernatural elements are key features of the Gothic storytelling in the film?

Dracula’s shape-shifting abilities, vampirism as a curse, and the reincarnation theme linking Mina and Elisabeta.