John Seward
Encyclopedia
John Seward, M.D. is a fictional character
appearing in Bram Stoker
's 1897 novel Dracula
.
not far from Count Dracula
's first English
home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, Seward conducts ambitious interviews with one of his patients, Renfield
, in order to understand better the nature of life-consuming psychosis
. As a psychiatrist, Seward enjoys using the most up-to-date equipment, including using a recording phonograph
to record his interviews with his patients and his own notes. Several chapters of the novel consist of transcriptions of Seward's phonograph recordings.
He is best friends with Quincey Morris
and Arthur Holmwood
. All three propose to Lucy Westenra
the same day. Although Lucy turns down Seward's marriage proposal, his love for her remains, and he dedicates himself to her care when she suddenly takes ill.
He calls in his mentor, Abraham Van Helsing
, to help him with her illness, and he helps Seward to realize that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire
and is doomed to become one herself. After she is officially destroyed and her soul
can go to Heaven
, Seward is determined to destroy Dracula. The novel's epilogue
mentions that Seward is now happily married.
's father). This was almost certainly based on the decision made in writing the Hamilton Deane
stage adaptation
. Such portrayals include:
In recent years, the trend has been to return Seward to his role in the novel, as a suitor for Lucy's hand in marriage, in:
In the 1938 Mercury Theatre
radio production of Dracula, Seward's character was combined with Arthur Holmwood
's and renamed Arthur Seward. He was voiced by Orson Welles
, who also voiced Dracula
in the adaptation.
, where Van Helsing fails and Dracula becomes the ruler of Britain, Seward becomes the murderer well known as "Jack the Ripper
", whose targets are vampire prostitutes who remind him of Lucy.
In the comic play Dracula (Undressed) (1975) Dr. Seward runs a Sanitorium for the Soused, and is Lucy's father. As he capitulates to Dracula's will, he becomes the real villain in the story.
Seward appears in Dracula the Un-dead
by Dacre Stoker
and Ian Holt. For twenty five years since the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula
, Seward has gained an addiction to morphine
and has become obsessed with destroying the undead. At some point before the events of the story, Seward comes into contact with the Romanian actor Vladimir Basarab, who assists him in hunting the vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory
. After chasing Bathory and her servants from Marseilles to Paris, Seward confronts Bathory's servants in Paris, only to be killed by Bathory's carriage.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's 1897 novel Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
.
In the novel
Seward is the administrator of an insane asylumPsychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
not far from Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
's first English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, Seward conducts ambitious interviews with one of his patients, Renfield
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.-In the novel:A description of Renfield from the novel:R. M. Renfield, aetat 59. Sanguine temperament, great physical strength, morbidly excitable,...
, in order to understand better the nature of life-consuming psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
. As a psychiatrist, Seward enjoys using the most up-to-date equipment, including using a recording phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
to record his interviews with his patients and his own notes. Several chapters of the novel consist of transcriptions of Seward's phonograph recordings.
He is best friends with Quincey Morris
Quincey Morris
Quincey P. Morris is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's horror novel Dracula.-In the novel:He is a rich young American from Texas, and one of the three suitors for the hand of Lucy Westenra. Quincey is friends with the two other suitors, Arthur Holmwood and Dr. John Seward, as well as Jonathan...
and Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.-In the novel:He is engaged to Lucy Westenra, and is best friends with the other two men who proposed to her on the very same day — Quincey Morris and Doctor John Seward...
. All three propose to Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. She is the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family. Her father is not mentioned in the novel and her elderly mother is simply stated as being Mrs. Westenra. Lucy is introduced as Mina Murray's best friend. In the 1931...
the same day. Although Lucy turns down Seward's marriage proposal, his love for her remains, and he dedicates himself to her care when she suddenly takes ill.
He calls in his mentor, Abraham Van Helsing
Abraham Van Helsing
Professor Abraham van Helsing is a protagonist from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula.Van Helsing is a Dutch doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "M.D., D.Ph., D.Litt., etc." The character is best known as a...
, to help him with her illness, and he helps Seward to realize that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
and is doomed to become one herself. After she is officially destroyed and her soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
can go to Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
, Seward is determined to destroy Dracula. The novel's epilogue
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
mentions that Seward is now happily married.
In adaptations
Seward often appears in different adaptations of Dracula but in a wide variety of different roles. He is often referred to as "Jack" Seward. The most common change is to portray him not as Lucy's suitor, but as her father (or sometimes Mina HarkerMina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 horror novel Dracula.- In the novel :She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young school mistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra...
's father). This was almost certainly based on the decision made in writing the Hamilton Deane
Hamilton Deane
Hamilton Deane was an Irish actor, playwright and director. He played a key role in popularising Bram Stoker's Dracula as a stage play and, later, a film.-Life:Deane was born in Clontarf, a suburb of Dublin...
stage adaptation
Dracula (play)
Dracula is a 1924 stage play adapted by Hamilton Deane from the novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, and substantially revised by John L. Balderston in 1927...
. Such portrayals include:
- Gustav Botz (as Dr. Sievers) in Nosferatu (1922)
- Herbert BunstonHerbert BunstonHerbert Bunston was a British stage and screen actor. He is probably best remembered for his role as Dr. John Seward in the Broadway and film versions of Dracula....
in DraculaDracula (1931 film)Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
(1931 film) - José Soriano Viosca in Dracula (1931, Spanish languageSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
version) - Charles Lloyd PackCharles Lloyd PackCharles Lloyd-Pack was a British film, television and stage actor.He was born in London, England. He was seen in several horror movies produced by the Hammer Studios including Dracula, The Man Who Could Cheat Death, The Revenge of Frankenstein and The Reptile and Quatermass 2, the film version of...
in DraculaDracula (1958 film)Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
(1958) - Paul MullerPaul MüllerPaul Müller is the name of:*Paul Hermann Müller , Swiss chemist*Paul Müller , Swiss actor*Paul Müller , German biologist*Paul O. Müller, German physicist...
in Count Dracula (1970) - Donald PleasenceDonald PleasenceSir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
in Dracula (1979) - Harvey KormanHarvey KormanHarvey Herschel Korman was an American comedic actor who performed in television and movie productions beginning in 1960...
in Dracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen, directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, and of some of the films it inspired....
(1995)
In recent years, the trend has been to return Seward to his role in the novel, as a suitor for Lucy's hand in marriage, in:
- Mark BurnsMark BurnsMark Burns was an English film and television actor.Burns was born in Bromsgrove in the county of Worcestershire and educated at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire...
in Count DraculaCount Dracula (1977)Count Dracula is a British television adaptation of the famous novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. It first aired in December 1977. It is among the more faithful of the many adaptations of the original book...
(1977) - Richard E. GrantRichard E. GrantRichard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Matthew JohnsonMatthew JohnsonMatthew Johnson or Matt Johnson may refer to:* Matt Johnson , voice of Rodney on the animated series The Life & Times of Tim* Matt Johnson , Canadian ice hockey player in the National Hockey League...
in Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's DiaryDracula: Pages from a Virgin's DiaryDracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary is a 2002 horror film directed by Guy Maddin. It is a silent interpretation of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's take of Bram Stoker's Dracula...
(2002) - Tom BurkeTom Burke (actor)Tom Liam Benedict Burke is an English actor.-Early life:Born on 30 June 1981; Kent, England), he is the son of actor David Burke and actress Anna Calder-Marshall...
in DraculaDracula (2006)Dracula is a television adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula produced by Granada Television for WGBH Boston and BBC Wales in 2006, it was written by Stewart Harcourt and directed by Bill Eagles.-Plot summary:...
(2006)
In the 1938 Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theatre progressed into their best-known period as The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a radio series that included one of the...
radio production of Dracula, Seward's character was combined with Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood
Arthur Holmwood is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.-In the novel:He is engaged to Lucy Westenra, and is best friends with the other two men who proposed to her on the very same day — Quincey Morris and Doctor John Seward...
's and renamed Arthur Seward. He was voiced by Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, who also voiced Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
in the adaptation.
In other works
In the alternate history novel Anno-DraculaAnno Dracula (novel)
Anno Dracula is a 1992 novel by British writer Kim Newman, the first in the Anno Dracula series. It is an alternate history using 19th century English historical settings and personalities, along with characters from popular fiction...
, where Van Helsing fails and Dracula becomes the ruler of Britain, Seward becomes the murderer well known as "Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
", whose targets are vampire prostitutes who remind him of Lucy.
In the comic play Dracula (Undressed) (1975) Dr. Seward runs a Sanitorium for the Soused, and is Lucy's father. As he capitulates to Dracula's will, he becomes the real villain in the story.
Seward appears in Dracula the Un-dead
Dracula the Un-dead
Dracula the Un-dead is a sequel to Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula. The book was written by Bram Stoker's great grand-nephew Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt...
by Dacre Stoker
Dacre Stoker
Dacre Stoker is the author of Dracula the Un-dead and the great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker.-References:...
and Ian Holt. For twenty five years since the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, Seward has gained an addiction to morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
and has become obsessed with destroying the undead. At some point before the events of the story, Seward comes into contact with the Romanian actor Vladimir Basarab, who assists him in hunting the vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of Hungarian nobility. Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific serial killer in history, the number of murders has been debated...
. After chasing Bathory and her servants from Marseilles to Paris, Seward confronts Bathory's servants in Paris, only to be killed by Bathory's carriage.