The superstition upon which this tale is founded is very general in the East. Among the Arabians it appears to be common: it did not, however, extend itself to the Greeks until after the establishment of Christianity; and it has only assumed its present form since the division of the Latin and Greek churches; at which time, the idea becoming prevalent, that a Latin body could not corrupt if buried in their territory, it gradually increased, and formed the subject of many wonderful stories, still extant, of the dead rising from their graves, and feeding upon the blood of the young and beautiful.
The opening sentence of The Vampyre sets the stage for Polidori's influential reimagining of the vampire figure. Until his story was published, the image of the vampire in European folk tales and literature was significantly different from what it is today. The contemporary archetype of the vampire as a sexy, Byronic seducer from an aristocratic background begins with Polidori's novella. In turn, the creation of this archetype begins with this overview of the history and literature about vampires up until that point.
Among other things which the lady, from whom I procured these anecdotes, related to me, she mentioned the outline of a story by Lord Byron.
This quote, from the fictional letter that introduces Polidori’s novella, hints at the complicated theme of authorship surrounding the publication of The Vampyre. Here, the narrator indicates that Byron was the original teller of the vampire story. Byron later published a fragment of his story but he never bothered to finish it. Polidori, on the other hand, jotted down the general outline of the story and later turned it into his successful novella.
When Polidori's friend submitted The Vampyre anonymously, the editors inaccurately attributed it to Byron. In light of Byron's fame, the story's initial success was likely a result of this error. In this quote, the author seems to give a nod of credit to Byron as the originator of the tale. However, his fictional letters ultimately leave the issue of authorship ambiguous.
He found himself in contact with some one, whom he immediately seized; when a voice cried, "Again baffled!" to which a loud laugh succeeded; and he felt himself grappled by one whose strength seemed superhuman…he was lifted from his feet and hurled with enormous force against the ground.
Polidori’s novella introduced several important characteristics that continue to be defining features of vampire literature and cinema to date. One of these is the supernatural strength and power of the vampire. In this quote, the narrator describes how Ianthe’s murderer—presumably the vampire Ruthven—lifts Aubrey and throws him to the ground with an apparently "superhuman" strength. Later, when Aubrey tries to warn his guardians and sister about Ruthven, he hears a voice reminding him of his oath, but turns around to see that no one is there. Supernatural strength and the power to produce controlling, treacherous voices and commands in the hearts and minds of victims continue to be features of the vampire persona today.
His guardians insisted upon his immediately leaving his friend, and urged, that his character was dreadfully vicious, for that the possession of irresistible powers of seduction, rendered his licentious habits more dangerous to society. It had been discovered, that his contempt for the adultress had not originated in hatred of her character; but that he had required, to enhance his gratification, that his victim, the partner of his guilt, should be hurled from the pinnacle of unsullied virtue, down to the lowest abyss of infamy and degradation: in fine, that all those females whom he had sought, apparently on account of their virtue, had, since his departure, thrown even the mask aside, and had not scrupled to expose the whole deformity of their vices to the public gaze.
In this quote the author explores the interrelated themes of seduction, sexuality, virtue, and vice. Polidori’s novella originated the persona of the vampire as an aristocratic seducer who preys on women. In particular, Ruthven preys on women who belong to the English noble classes, like the "adultress" described above, or else those regarded as virginal, innocent, and pure, like Ianthe.
The narrator's description of Ruthven hardly presents him as handsome—his face and eyes are described as dead, gray, and lifeless. Yet his arrogance and power come together in a sexual magnetism that has a forceful effect on everyone he meets. Ruthven uses this quality to corrupt virtuous women, ultimately leading them into a life of vice.
Aubrey began to attach himself more and more to Ianthe; her innocence, so contrasted with all the affected virtues of the women among whom he had sought for his vision of romance, won his heart; and while he ridiculed the idea of a young man of English habits, marrying an uneducated Greek girl, still he found himself more and more attached to the almost fairy form before him.
In this quote, Polidori draws a contrast between the unaffected, unpretentious innocence of Ianthe, and the "affected virtues" of the English noblewomen who Aubrey was raised around. In so doing, the novella offers commentary on societal norms relating to both class and gender.
The narrator makes several references to society's expectation that women be virtuous, pure, and innocent. But in the wealthy, cosmopolitan context of London, some women are more experienced. These women must pretend to be pure and innocent in order to comply with social norms.
Aubrey is repelled by the stuffy social context that creates these fake, inauthentic ways of being. This is what draws him to Ianthe, who he perceives as genuinely pure and innocent. But at the same time, Aubrey is unable to escape the standards imposed by his class background, since he "ridicule[s]" the idea of a wealthy Englishman like himself marrying an uneducated Greek girl.
He paced the room with hurried steps, and fixed his hands upon his head, as if he were afraid his thoughts were bursting from his brain. Lord Ruthven again before him—circumstances started up in dreadful array—the dagger—his oath.—He roused himself, he could not believe it possible—the dead rise again!—He thought his imagination had conjured up the image his mind was resting upon. It was impossible that it could be real—he determined, therefore, to go again into society….
Polidori introduces a compelling element of ambiguity into his vampire tale by casting some doubt over the quality of Aubrey’s mind. Several times Aubrey falls very ill and has delirious visions. For example, even after Ianthe’s murder, Aubrey calls out to her and to Ruthven in the hopes that his loved one can still be spared. In this quote, Aubrey—who has seen Ruthven brought back from the dead—begins to doubt his own perception of reality and wonders if his imagination is playing tricks on him.
For the most part, the narration leads the reader to believe that Ruthven is a vampire who is responsible for the deaths of Ianthe and Miss Aubrey. But the reader is also not entirely certain about the accuracy and reliability of the narration, which is closely aligned with Aubrey’s feelings and perceptions.
Rising early in the morning, he was about to enter the hovel in which he had left the corpse, when a robber met him, and informed him that it was no longer there, having been conveyed by himself and comrades, upon his retiring, to the pinnacle of a neighbouring mount, according to a promise they had given his lordship, that it should be exposed to the first cold ray of the moon that rose after his death. Aubrey astonished, and taking several of the men, determined to go and bury it upon the spot where it lay. But, when he had mounted to the summit he found no trace of either the corpse or the clothes….
Another theme in Polidori’s novella that continues to be an important element of contemporary vampire stories is the vampire’s supernatural relationship with the moon. Before Ruthven, dies he commands the robbers to lay out his body so that it may be touched by the first ray of the moon that night. The reader presumes that this is necessary in order for Ruthven’s reincarnation to be completed successfully. When Aubrey returns the following morning, there is no trace of the dead body.
In every town, he left the formerly affluent youth, torn from the circle he adorned, cursing, in the solitude of a dungeon, the fate that had drawn him within the reach of this fiend; whilst many a father sat frantic, amidst the speaking looks of mute hungry children, without a single farthing of his late immense wealth, wherewith to buy even sufficient to satisfy their present craving. Yet he took no money from the gambling table; but immediately lost, to the ruiner of many, the last gilder he had just snatched from the convulsive grasp of the innocent….
Polidori characterizes Lord Ruthven—and by association, the vampire—as possessing a powerful, destructive force aligned with malice and vice. Ruthven leaves a path of destruction wherever he travels. In particular, Ruthven takes pleasure in destroying the young and wealthy, along with women who are innocent, pure, and beautiful.
Polidori thus reimagines the vampire as an aristocrat who attacks wealth and virtue. In this way, we can also read the novella as a critique of the excesses and faulty morality of the upper classes.
Aubrey's mind, by this shock, was much weakened, and that elasticity of spirit which had once so distinguished him now seemed to have fled for ever. He was now as much a lover of solitude and silence as Lord Ruthven…
Ruthven does not only prey on his victims physically by sucking their blood. He also preys on them psychologically, by draining their spirits, corrupting their minds, and ruining their reputations. This psychic or psychological vampirism continues to be an important element of many contemporary vampire stories.
In Aubrey's case, as he falls under Ruthven's influence he assumes a twisted resemblance to his tormenter. Previously Aubrey was a lively, social person. Now he loves being alone and in silence just as much as Ruthven does.
[H]e cultivated more his imagination than his judgment. He had, hence, that high romantic feeling of honour and candour, which daily ruins so many milliners' apprentices. He believed all to sympathise with virtue, and thought that vice was thrown in by Providence merely for the picturesque effect of the scene, as we see in romances….
At the beginning of the novella, Polidori associates Aubrey with romanticism, a literary and artistic movement of which Lord Byron was a leading figure. Aubrey believes in the romantic ideals of personal honor and candor. He holds a high standard of virtue, yet he does not take vice seriously, seeing it merely as a poetic effect thrown in to make life more interesting. He has poor judgment and a creative, overactive imagination, as evidenced by his obsession with Lord Ruthven.
Critics have commented that in his characterization of Aubrey, Polidori is likely commenting on his own character as well as his troubled relationship with Byron. Polidori idealized Byron, looking up to him and jumping on the opportunity to travel with him—just like Aubrey does with Ruthven. Yet Aubrey’s—and Polidori’s—ideals were soon shattered as the relationship soured.
