Dracula (2013) vs. Bram Stoker's Dracula

The show Dracula starting Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Dracula definitely takes and interesting twist on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Just off the first two shows I was able to tell the differences. So the show basically starts off with Dracula being buried in a coffin until Van Helsing would free him. Dracula would then go to London under the alias Alexander Grayson, an American entrepreneur, ten years later. The reason he goes to London is to help Van Helsing take down The Order of Dragons. This was the organization responsible for Ilona's, Dracula's wife, death and the death of Van Helsing's family. During the party in the beginning of the show Renfield makes an appearance as Dracula's right hand man. Later we also meet Johnathan, Mina, and Lucy. Jonathan is currently working as a journalist while Mina is a full-time medical student learning to be a surgeon. The thing is though Johnathan and Mina are not engaged. Lucy is still Mina's best friend but she does not support Mina's relationship with Jonathan due to her own interest in Mina. As for Van Helsing, it is revealed that he is Mina's professor while working with Dracula.

                   

With the first episode there are so many differences from the story. When we see Dracula for the first time he's in a coffin a dried up state instead of him being an old man like in the book. With that scene in the show instead of Jonathan meeting Dracula first it's actually Van Helsing, who was actually searching for Dracula, not to destroy him, but for his help. The show then cuts ten years later to a party hosted by Dracula himself with Renfield helping him instead of being in an insane asylum. For Dracula, he takes on this role as an American to keep his plans secret. Whereas in the book he doesn't hide who he is from the start. With Renfield, he takes on this duty of doing whatever is necessary to further Dracula's plans.

During the party Jonathan, Mina, and Lucy are introduced for the first time. In the book he is a solicitor that works with Dracula in the beginning. While in the show he works a journalist. He then works for Dracula as an investigative agent. Later Jonathan will go on to joining him Order of the Dragon.

With Mina, she takes an interesting role in the show that varies greatly from the story. Mina take on the feminine role of the of the "Victorian Modern Woman." Even though she makes fun of the modern woman in the story, she is the model modern women. She is a schoolmistress, is able to type on a typewriter, and can write in shorthand. While in the show she embraces being a modern woman due to her drive to being a surgeon instead of just being a nurse. She takes on a more masculine type of persona then her book version does with this change.

For Lucy, she doesn't take on the role of the proper English woman in show like she does in the book. Instead of her being worried over who will be her husband she is more concerned for Mina to the point of being possessive of her. During the show it is revealed that Lucy has romantic feelings toward Mina. The one similarity the show shares with the book is that Dracula changes Lucy into a vampire in the end. In the end of the season when Lucy is a vampire it shows her attacking her own mother. While in the book it's Dracula who attacks the mother.

In the book, Dracula briefly mentions that his main goal is to seek revenge but it's never really said why. While is the show it's said specifically. Dracula wants revenge over the Order of the Dragon for the death of his wife Ilona before he was turned into a vampire by the Order. During the season Dracula is shown in a more sympathetic light because he is doing everything for his lost love. Van Helsing works with Dracula in his plans to take down the Order because of his own vendetta that was started after the Order had Van Helsing watch his wife and children die in a fire because he went against the Orders wishes.

It's very clear in the book that Dracula has no romantic feelings towards Mina. Mostly he targets her to get to the Crew of light. But in the show she is depicted as the reincarnation of Draculas' dead wife Ilona which leads to Dracula being more protective of her. When the two first meet in the story he is more primal and savage towards her. While in the show he's loving and caring towards her. He is willing to do anything for her. Renfield asks him in the show why he wouldn't just take her and turn her into a vampire. Dracula states that if he to turn her it would be an abomination. This shows he would never want to hurt Mina in any way again making him a more sympathetic even romantic version of the Dracula character. In the show Dracula would always try and protect mina even if it meant she was with a different men. Like in the story Mina and Jonathan do get engaged, but shortly it ends due to Jonathan making comments dealing with his disapproval of Mina being a medical student and that how after they got married she would give up her dreams and become a proper English woman. Mina hears these comments and ends the engagement. it's only due to Dracula's intervening that Jonathan and Mina get back together. Later in the show Mina leaves Jonathan and gets together with Dracula. In the book Mina has a son with Jonathan and is married to him.

In the end of the book Dracula is dead and the Crew of Light have all moved on with their lives. The show however is different. Instead of Dracula dying, he actually continues to live but with Mina at his side. Jonathan, however, is bitter towards Dracula and joins Van Helsing in hunting down Dracula.