How does Jonathan Harker find out that Count Dracula is a vampire ?

Jonathan Harker, in the castle and in England, is witness to various incidents that confirm his knowledge of Dracula's true nature. He himself does not articulate the information as such, but he does discover Dracula in his coffin, and he escapes.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

While he doesn't name the Count as a vampire while he resides at this castle, Jonathan does see him crawl like a lizard, experiences the seduction of the "weird sisters," and understands that the count has power over other creatures, such as wolves.  Then, in Chapter 4, Jonathan discovers the coffins with Dracula lying inside one:  "There lay the Count, but looking as if his youth had been half renewed . . . on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck. . . He lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion."  Jonathan, terrified, closes the coffin lid.  Shortly after this, Dracula's body is transported to England, Jonathan escapes, and then of course goes mad.  I would think finding Dracula in the coffin confirms Jonathan's knowledge, even though he does not use the word "vampire."  Only later does the doctor introduce that term.  However, Jonathan does call the Count a "monster."

See eNotes Ad-Free

Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial Team