Human nature in Polidori's The Vampyre

In Polidori’s The Vampyre, the vampire (known to Aubrey and the other characters as Lord Ruthven) is characterized as the seductive, mysterious and brooding stranger. Throughout the novel, the characters are hypnotized by Lord Ruthven; though he plays the part of the tall, dark and handsome town suitor, they sense something darker. “…his eyes sparkled with more fire than that of the cat whilst dallying with the half-dead mouse.” He was “a nobleman, more remarkable for his singularities, than his rank.” These “singularities” are Lord Ruthven’s methods as a predator to lure and catch his prey; it’s why the characters fall for the vampire. His never-changing complexion and deadly, pointed stare described by the narrator are two such singularities, enchanting the characters in the novel: “those who felt this sensation of awe, could not explain whence it arose.” The monster’s very presence intoxicates the humans; they are under the vampire’s spell. “Lady Mercer, who had been the mockery of every monster shewn in her drawing-rooms since her marriage, threw herself in his way, and did all but put on the dress of a mountebank, to attract his notice.”



The characters’ interest and fascination toward the vampire represents their rebellion against society’s restraint of the monstrous desires of human nature. Though society ignores and suppresses many of our dark, monstrous tendencies, the vampire instead romanticizes the idea. In this story, the vampire suggests that this aspect of our nature can’t be controlled, much like the character Lord Ruthven. The irony of the situation is exemplified in Aubrey’s decision to model the hero of his romance after the vampire. This causes the reader to wonder: maybe the “hero” isn’t all-good. Maybe he has a monstrous side, as well.