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DRAKULA
ACTIVITIES
In a castle somewhere in darkest Transylvania, someone is waiting…
First published in 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is probably the most celebrated tale of terror ever written.
Stoker wrote several other novels, but Dracula is without doubt his most famous.
The book takes its title from Vlad Dracul (Vlad the Devil), Prince of Wallachia, and Dracula means “Son
of the Devil”. Dracul’s son, Vlad IV (1431-1476) was also known as Vlad the Impaler because of the
horrendous punishments he inflicted on his prisoners. This brutality was mostly a warning to his worst
enemies, the Turks, who constantly threatened his country. But his name has become famous for cruelty
and sadism.
The Transylvanian Count in this play is not unique in his need for blood to live. Many cultures have
beliefs about creatures or gods who drink the blood of their victims because of its power as a “life giving
force”. The use of blood in oaths or to seal pacts is another testimony as to how people through the ages
have regarded blood as something sacred.
Apart from vampirism, other elements of the novel such as the use of garlic and crucifixes for protection,
or Dracula’s ability to change into a bat or wolf, were probably taken from readings about the
superstitions of Eastern Europe. In Stoker’s time the people of this region feared the existence of
vampires, werewolves, witches and other supernatural horrors.
So, sit back and enjoy the show, if you dare. And when you go to bed, put a little garlic by your window,
for Dracula is undead and eternal, and he is always thirsty for blood… anyone’s.
NOTE TO TEACHERS
The written activities that follow have been designed so that the students have a chance to anticipate what
they are going to see in the show, although you may prefer to use one or more of these activities
afterwards. Try to persuade the students that when anticipating, there are no “right” or “wrong”
answers, only “sensible” ones and that they will have the chance to check their answers when they see
the play.
However, the oral activities have been designed to be used as follow-up activities after the students have
seen the show. Firewalk Theatre hopes that you and your students enjoy the play, and that your students’
interest is stimulated so that they see that English is not just another subject with exams which must be
passed.
OPPOSITES
IN SCENE 1, DRACULA SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND USES SOME PECULIAR
OPPOSITES (OR ANTONYMS, E.G. WET-DRY) IN HIS SPEECH.
Write in the antonym before looking at what he says. Some of his opposites may surprise you!
Good
Day
Up
Here
Sacred
Horror
Pleasure
Love
Death
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COMPOUNDS
COMPOUNDS ARE TWO WORDS PUT TOGETHER TO MAKE A NEW WORD. THERE ARE
MANY COMPOUND ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH (A GIRL WITH BLUE EYES = A BLUE-EYED
GIRL). MANY COMPOUND ADJECTIVES DESCRIBE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND
PERSONALITY.
See how many of these compounds you can use to describe the characters and/or situations in the play
(some won’t be applicable). You may need a dictionary to understand some of them.
Sun-tanned
Self-centred
Sharp-toothed
Spine-chilling
Bad-mannered
Mind-numbing
Open-minded
Bad-tempered
Kind-hearted
Hen-pecked
Blood-sucking
Self-sufficient
Pale-faced
Loud-mouthed
Over-imaginative
Risk-laden
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS HAPPEN IN THE PLAY.
Put them in the correct order
Jonathan starts his journey.
Jonathan arrives at Dracula’s castle.
Jonathan is cut with a knife.
Mina kills Dracula.
Dracula bites Jonathan.
Jonathan’s first conversation with Mina.
A man and woman enter Jonathan’s compartment.
Dracula bites Mina.
Jonathan meets Maria.
1
VOCABULARY
HERE ARE SOME WORDS OR PHRASES USED IN THE PLAY THAT MAY BE NEW TO YOU.
Try to match the word or phrase with its definition.
NOTE: Three of the words do not have definitions!
banality (n)
clerk (n)
petty (adj)
to wander (vb)
Scene 1
Scene 1
Scene 1
Scene 3
mirage (n)
Scene 4
lawyer (n)
Scene 5
to fool someone (vb)
blossom (n)
Scene 6
path (n)
Scene 6
humble (adj)
Scene 6
to clean and put in order
a substance used for making candles
something that is funny
a type of road made for walking
to move away from your original direction
an unreal vision
to go in no particular direction
to make someone believe something untrue
the flower of a tree
someone of low rank in an office
amusing (adj)
Scene 6
wax (n)
Scene 6
wedding (n)
Scene 7
someone who works in the legal profession
to tidy up (vb) Scene 7
a state of boredom, everything is too ordinary
to stray (vb)
Scene 1
when you think of small, unimportant things
challenge (n)
Scene 3
Use your dictionary to find the meaning of the other three words if you don’t know them.
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FILL IN THE BLANKS: MULTIPLE CHOICE
IN SCENE 4, JONATHAN STARTS HIS TRAIN JOURNEY AND DESCRIBES HIS TRAVEL
ARRANGEMENTS.
Fill in the blanks with what you consider to be a suitable word.
Jonathan: Oh, good. Just in time. Let’s ____________ (look/see/watch). This ____________
(must/should/has to) be my ____________ (compartment/carriage/seat), number 44.
I nearly ____________ (missed/lost/failed) it. Transilvania here we come! This could be ____________
(great/fun/diverting). (Gets out diary) Diary of Jonathan Harker. Continuation. “I ____________
(leave/leaved/left) London on the boat train bound for Munich at 22.51 on April 30th with a delay of three
minutes. The ____________ (region/area/country) about which the gentleman with whom I was to have
dealings had spoken in his letters is one of the ____________ (wildest/savagest/most brutal) and least
known parts of Europe. No detailed map of the region exists. However, through my ____________
(research/studies/investigations) I discovered that I would have to travel to Bistritz by rail and from there
take a ____________ (stagecoach/horse/cart). The region is situated between three states, Transilvania,
Moldavia and Bukovina…”
WORD FORMATION
PREFIXES
IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY YOU ARE SAD OR UNHAPPY. “UN” IS A PREFIX. YOU CAN MAKE
OPPOSITES OF WORDS BY ADDING A PREFIX. THERE ARE SEVERAL PREFIXES IN
ENGLISH.
Put the correct prefix with these words.
respect (n)
usual (adj)
embark (vb)
known (adj)
familiar (adj)
fortunate (adj)
agreeable (adj)
separable (adj)
understand (vb)
dead (adj)
SUFFIXES
IF YOU ARE HAPPY, THEN THE NOUN TO DESCRIBE THAT STATE IS HAPPINESS. “NESS” IS
A SUFFIX. YOU USE SUFFIXES TO CHANGE WORDS: FROM ADJECTIVES TO NOUNS, VERBS
TO ADJECTIVES, ETC.
Put the correct suffix to change the class of the word, e.g.
trivial (adj)
(n) triviality
to sign
to dominate
familiar
comfort
responsible
dark
begin
fate
(n)____________
(adj)____________
(vb)____________
(adj)____________
(n)____________
(adj)____________
(n)____________
(adj)____________
*means you must put the noun for a person.
foreign
pain
arrive
magic
thirsty
beauty
work
(n*)____________
(adj)____________
(n)____________
(adj)____________
(n)____________
(adj)____________
(n*)____________
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TRUE OR FALSE?
In Scene 3, Jonathan has a conversation with Mina and tells her about his proposed journey. Say which
of the following statements are true and which are false.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Jonathan correctly names Mina’s new hair colour.
According to Mina, their wedding is in a month’s time.
Transylvania is between Montenegro and Bukovina.
The Robertsons are coming to dinner.
Jonathan will be away for two months.
Count Dracula has bought an abbey in Carfax.
Mina thinks that Mr Hawkins is losing his mental faculties.
Mina says the day of their wedding is in exactly 43 day’s time.
Jonathan thinks the experience will be good for him.
Mina is happy about Jonathan’s trip.
T
F
CORRECTIONS
MARIA’S ENGLISH
IN SCENE 5, JONATHAN MEETS AND GETS TO KNOW MARIA. HER ENGLISH ISN’T VERY
GOOD AND NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
Correct Maria’s rather primitive English in the sentences below.
-Sit. Sit down. I cure hand. Wait. You hungry? You want eating?
-Thank you. You save my life. You save me. Oy, look what cut. Is very… very… deep. Is painful?
-He? He no my friend. He a pig.
-Jonathan. Please. You listen to me, Jonathan. You no go. Maria say. Look your hand. You must cure.
No. Dracula no. You good, you good. You no go there. Dracula smell your blood. Dracula bad. Bad. You
no understand. He have tooth. He bite. Is dangerous. Ay, Jonathan say that you no go.
-Because I like you. You brave. And you save me my life. You tired? You like sleep now? You like sleep
with Maria this night? Mm? You like? We go? Come. Come with me.
THE LATEST VAMPIRE FASHION
What kind of clothes do you think Count Dracula wears? Below are some suggestions. Select what you
think a fashionable vampire might have worn in the 19th century. You will very probably need a
dictionary for this activity.
top hat
polo shirt
waistcoat
trainers
cravat
jacket with tails
boots
high-collared shirt
cape
bow tie
bowler hat
long trousers
dressing gown
trilby
beret
Any other ideas for Dracula’s clothing?
breeches
bermuda shorts
tie
stockings
slippers
shiny shoes
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What sort of materials would Dracula’s clothes be made of?
leather
suede
silk
denim
velvet
linen
corduroy
wool
cotton
What about colours? Red and black are obvious, but would he choose any others to add a little variety?
After you see the show, check and see if Dracula was wearing the clothes that you thought a typical
vampire might wear.
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ORAL ACTIVITIES
PAIR WORK
THE BLOOD BANK
Dracula is desperate! He can’t find any victims and he’s getting very thirsty. So he decides to go to a
blood transfusion centre at the local hospital to ask for a couple of litres of fresh blood. The nurse is a bit
confused because Mr Alucard (Dracula’s false name) wants to take blood, not give it. Dracula has to
invent any kind of reason why he needs the blood to persuade the nurse to give him what he needs. But
the nurse is suspicious and will need convincing before she gives him anything.
When you have finished, repeat the activity, this time changing roles and partners.
THE MAN FROM MARS
ROLE CARD A
You are Count Dracula and you are with someone who has just arrived on the planet Earth. He or she
understands your language, but knows absolutely nothing about Earth people or vampires. Explain your
way of life in detail to the alien.
ROLE CARD B
You are a person who has just arrived on the planet Earth. Your partner is explaining to you what a
“vampire” is. Write down the information he gives you so you can later explain to your people. Be as
stupid as you can!
GROUP WORK
THE CHAT SHOW
Dracula, Jonathan, Mina, a doctor and a vampire hunter have been invited to appear on a chat show (like
the ones you see on Antena 3 or Tele 5) for an interview titled “Vampires: Yes or No?”. The interviewer
wants to establish if vampires really exist, and if they do, what is good or bad about being one. Dracula
would prefer to keep it all a secret. Jonathan (now a vampire) is very positive about his new existence.
Mina, as usual, is not happy about her new condition as a vampire and wants to let everyone know how
annoying it is. The doctor is a man of science and doesn’t believe in the existence of vampires. The
vampire hunter has lots of experience in this field and some spine chilling stories to tell. He’d also like to
demonstrate live on TV how to kill one!
(Optional: you can include an audience to participate in asking questions and then voting to see
if they believe in vampires and if being one is a good thing)
THE TRANSYLVANIAN VAMPIRES ASSOCIATION
Today is the Annual General Meeting of the Transylvanian Vampires Association and you are vampires
who are members of the association. You have to discuss an important piece of news. It has been
discovered that there are no vampires in a country called Spain, a rather primitive country but full of
healthy people with lots of fresh blood. Naturally, the Association would like to exploit this opportunity,
but have to make plans. Get together in groups of six to seven and elect a chairperson to co-ordinate the
meeting. Then decide what to do.
Points of discussion could be things like:
? Travel arrangements
? Where to stay in Spain
? Who to bite first (someone powerful like the president of the government?)
? How to hide your identities
? Etc.
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IMPROVISED PLAY
THE COURT CASE
Teacher’s notes:
This oral activity may last a whole class, depending on the students’ willingness to maintain the roleplay but you will need some degree of preparation. The activity could be made more interesting by
making the students “feel” that they are in a court of law. Try to convince them that after seeing
“Drakula”, it is their turn to improvise a play and that they should use their imagination and creativity.
We suggest that the role-play cards be photocopied and cut up before being distributed to the students
to maintain the “information gap”.
BACKGROUND
Count Dracula has been accused of the strange and mysterious deaths of several women who have been found dead
and with no blood in their bodies. These “murders” have always occurred at night in the poorer districts of London.
Only one person managed to escape from this terrible fate. He is a hansom cab driver (a hansom cab was a type of
horse-drawn taxi common in London in the late 19th century).
The purpose of this court case is to establish the guilt or innocence of Dracula. Don’t forget that this is a court of
law, so all the judicial procedures must be respected and taken seriously.
CHARACTERS
1. (MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION)
THE JUDGE
You are impartial. Your job is to maintain order in court. You may ask questions to clarify any comment you think
is ambiguous. If one of the lawyers objects to a question asked by his opponent to a witness or the accused, you
must decide if it is "objection over-ruled” (you reject the objection) or “objection sustained” (you accept the
objection because the lawyer is playing verbal tricks to win his case). At the end of the case you must decide if
Dracula (and Jonathan Harker) are guilty of murder.
THE PROSECUTION
You are the lawyer who has to prove that Dracula is guilty of these strange crimes. You are a good lawyer, but you
have a difficult job. You have to prove that vampires exist, then you have to establish that Dracula was at the scene
of the crime(s). The witnesses who can help you to prove your case are:
Dr. Van Helsing, He has a lot of knowledge about vampires and their habits. He can tell you about how vampires
attack their victims, the marks they leave, and how to combat them. He is very useful as a witness to prove that
vampires exist.
He also has information that might be useful for the prosecution e.g. garlic, crucifixes, Holy Water, wooden stakes.
Mina. She has been bitten by Dracula and can provide a physical description of Dracula (a tall man dressed in black,
pallid and who speaks with a slight foreign accent). She has also seen how Jonathan’s behaviour has changed (he
doesn’t eat normal food, he goes out at night, he doesn’t go to church anymore, etc.). She rejects the Count and all
his works and she hates her new life as a vampire.
Jonathan Harker. You suspect that Harker is not only guilty of helping Dracula in his crimes, but was also
responsible for the attack on the taxi driver, Donald Jones.
Donald Jones. Drives a horse-driven taxi (hansom cab). One of his passengers wanted to go to a dark part of
London (Whitechapel). The passenger then attacked Jones in a dark street, trying to bite his throat. Who did this
person look like?
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Mary O’Connor. She works in a pub where she saw a good friend of hers (Elisa Frump) talking to someone out on
the street who looked like Dracula. She vaguely saw the accused take her friend into a side street and heard screams.
But she was so busy, and the windows of the pub were so dirty that she could not see clearly what was happening,
but she is convinced that something bad had happened.
Police Constable Cooper. This policeman has seen some of the awful deaths of the young women and has evidence
in his notebook. He was present at the attack on Donald Jones.
THE DEFENCE
You are the lawyer whose objective is to make clear that poor Count Dracula is a strange but good person who has
come to London to escape false accusations of vampirism in his own country. He only wants a peaceful life in
Purfleet.
As a good lawyer, you must convince the judge that Dracula is innocent of his crimes. Was he there when the
murders were committed? What about Harker (who is less innocent than he seems)? Most of the witnesses were
either drunk or horrified by what they had seen; this is to your advantage.
Witnesses:
Doctor Sawyer: A man of medicine who thinks that vampirism is superstitious nonsense. Blood transfusion is a
normal phenomenon caused by the need for blood transference. The curious method (two punctures in the throat and
total transfusion) strikes him as curious. But he is a man of medicine.
Donald Jones. He drives a horse-driven taxi (hansom cab). One of his passengers wanted to go to a dark part of
London (Whitechapel). The passenger then attacked Mr. Jones in a dark street, trying to bite his throat. He did not
look like Dracula but resembled Jonathan Harker. A policeman tried to help him. Jones had been drinking.
Problems about the witnesses for the Prosecution:
Police Constable Cooper saw things that were impossible. Also the attack on Donald Jones (the taxi-driver) is
unusual because the description is not that of Dracula, but of someone resembling Harker. Cooper’s evidence is
open to doubt because the taxi driver had drunk several glasses of gin, and the policeman saw something that defied
description.
Dr Van Helsing is eccentric, if not completely mad. The Defence must convince the court that Van Helsing’s
testimony is absurd and ridiculous
Mary O’Connor is obviously not a good witness for the Prosecution. She was working in a bar (perhaps she had
been drinking?). The bar was full of cigar smoke and the windows were dirty.
2: THE ACCUSED
THE ACCUSED
You are Dracula. You refuse to accept your vampiric state. You deny that you were present at the times and dates
when you were supposedly guilty of your crimes. You are prepared to accuse Mina and Jonathan Harker for the
crimes committed. Your reason for living in Purfleet is that you are tired of constant accusations and persecution for
supposedly being a vampire.
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3: WITNESSES
All witnesses can be called by the defence and prosecution lawyers to promote their case. The witnesses are the
following:
You are Dr Van Helsing, vampire expert. You have spent a difficult and dangerous life hunting vampires.
You know that they hate the following because they threaten their existence.
? Garlic
? Crucifixes
?
?
Holy water
Exorcism
?
Wooden stakes
Vampires are also notorious because:
? They are tremendously strong
? They leave no reflection in a mirror
? They can change shape (to a bat, wolf, etc.)
? They can climb vertical walls using only their hands and feet
You know how vampires take blood from their victims by sucking all the blood from their bodies, leaving two bite
marks in their victims’ throats.
You know that vampires exist. You have travelled around Europe hunting and killing them. The Defence might try
to make you look ridiculous. But you must try to convince the court that vampires exist, and that the most dangerous
vampire in history is here in London.
You are Jonathan Harker. You are under suspicion because you may have helped Dracula to commit his murders.
You were responsible for the attack on Donald Jones, a taxi-driver, who was strong enough to resist your attack, but
you deny this. A policeman also appeared to help Mr. Jones. You escaped from the scene of the crime by climbing
vertically up a wall with nothing but your hands and feet. You categorically deny that you are a vampire. Your
experiences in Transylvania should not be mentioned. You are weak and tired from lack of blood. Invent an alibi for
the date and time of the crimes.
You are Donald Jones. You drive a horse-driven taxi (hansom cab). It’s a hard job, so you had taken a couple of
glasses of gin before starting work. One of your passengers wanted to go to a dark part of London (Whitechapel).
The passenger then attacked you in a dark street, trying to bite your throat. He did not look like Dracula. He
resembled Jonathan Harker. A policeman tried to help you. You both observed the attacker escaping by climbing a
wall with nothing but his hands and feet. You feel that you had drunk too much gin, but the policeman verified your
testimony.
You are Mina. You have been bitten by Dracula and can provide a physical description of Dracula (a tall man
dressed in black, pallid and who speaks with a slight foreign accent) You have also seen how Jonathan’s behaviour
has changed (he doesn’t eat normal food, he goes out at night, he doesn’t go to church anymore, etc.) You reject the
Count and all his works and you hate your new life as a vampire
You are Mary O’Connor. You work in a bar where one of your best friends (Elisa Frump) was murdered by
extraction of blood, apparently removed from two strange marks in her throat. You saw a strange figure who took
Elisa down a side street and ran away with blood dribbling down his lips. However it was difficult to establish exact
identification because there were so many customers, and the pub windows were dirty.
You are Dr. Sawyer. You firmly believe that these strange cases of “blood extraction” are not supernatural. You are
however worried by the manner in which the blood is extracted. The criminal must have invented a new method for
extracting blood from the victims. In your opinion, there is a lunatic in London who must be caught, but the opinion
of Dr Van Helsing and others is ridiculous. Vampires simply don’t exist.
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You are Police Constable Cooper. You have found at least two of the women who were killed in this horrible way
in your district. Invent the details of these cases. You also helped a taxi driver, Mr. Donald Jones, who was being
attacked by someone in a dark street. The attacker “escaped in the strangest manner” by climbing a vertical wall
using only his hands and feet. It was very dark and you cannot describe the attacker’s identity with any clarity. But
you are relatively sure that it was not Dracula. In fact, you suspect that Jonathan Harker resembles the man you saw
attacking the taxi-driver and you are prepared to say so in court.