Images of the vampire over time show a consistent relationship with the genre of Gothic literature due to its complex and contradictory nature. The rise of Gothic literature as an artistic interplay between the scientific and the supernatural played with a seductive paradox that extended beyond just themes and motifs. This manifested itself in the characters themselves. Dating back to the 1700s, the introduction of a paradoxical character derived from the many works of Lord Byron appears in many vampire characters like the Byronic hero. Also an aspect of Gothic literature, monstrosity has served and still serves an important purpose in our culture. Whatever aspects of humanity and society manifest as monstrosity reveal the deepest fears of said society. When it comes to vampirism, violence and sexual liberation tell the reader a lot about the current state of cultural principles. A comparison between modern vampire imagery and older images in literary texts suggests that our culture is simply drawn to paradox and can understand the complexity of vampire figures. The difference in the components of the paradoxes reveals how the values ​​of our culture have changed in their origins while a theme of contradiction has remained present. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As established, Gothic literature itself is grounded in the paradox of science and the supernatural. The enduring popularity of the Byronic hero's complex and multifaceted presence in our culture over time also supports the claim that we are engaged in a paradox. The Byronic hero hates the reality that he is a monster. It is both creative and destructive, human and monster, sensitive and anguished, and both us and the other. Most of Byron's poems included versions of the Byronic hero and Byron's sentiments also support the popularity of the paradoxical existential lens also present in Gothic literature. In his poem “Manfred,” Byron writes: “Sorrow is knowledge: they who know most / must weep most deeply for the fatal truth” (Byron 11-12). Byron's conscience in general was something that weighed on his thoughts, and although knowledge was valued and sought after, the truth was something "fatal" and had to be mourned. A typical example of a vampiric Byronic hero is Varney the vampire who is tortured by his own monstrosity. Although Varney was present in the 1840s, his archetype manifests in many characters today, supporting our culture's long-standing fascination with duality and paradoxes. In the Twilight series, the main character Edward Cullen faces torture strikingly similar to that of Varney and even Lord Byron. The awareness of his current state weighs on him, and even though he is painfully aware of his monstrosity, he continues his brutality in a relatively existential way. He knows he should stay away from his love interest, but can't bring himself to do so because he is the pinnacle of the overlap of humanity and monstrosity. Even centuries later, this torn character, both tragic and fascinating, captures the attention of our society while increasingly evoking our empathy. Interest in this paradox tells us about our culture's relationships with individuality and the other. Since the Byronic hero is both a form of pure expression of individuality while personifying thefear of the other in our culture, its popularity suggests that society and individuals struggle to succeed in knowing and defining themselves. Because of the natural and often conflicting duality that most people experience, no longer being able to distinguish oneself from others is one reason why our culture can embrace monstrosity so much. It skillfully lends itself to appealing to our individuality. Another more modern and ambiguous version of the vampire appears in the television series Dexter. Dexter Morgan is extremely aware of his monstrosity but chooses to express it by killing other killers. This raises a tantalizing ethical dilemma for viewers, showing that the complexity of monstrosity engages our culture. In the very first episode, he says, “Blood. Sometimes it makes me cringe, other times it helps me control the chaos. Blood is undoubtedly one of the greatest symbols of the vampire in literature and texts. This is why Dexter can be considered not only the archetypal Byronic hero, but also a form of modern vampire. The popularity of the Dexter series and the Twilight series informs us that our culture can identify with monstrosity while justifying it with empathy. Dexter struggles with his monstrosity, his need to kill, and his fascination with blood while remaining a controversial figure in the public's mind, as his horrific actions could have a net positive outcome. One of the reasons society is so drawn to this paradox is that individuals identify monstrosity within themselves while using characters such as Dexter and Edward as vehicles for accepting monstrous parts of themselves. While the presence of paradox is apparent throughout Gothic literature and vampire figures. , the aspects that make up these paradoxes go beyond simple violence and monstrosity. Changes in paradoxical components have a parallel structure to changes in our culture's fears and expectations. The way vampire images have historically been portrayed is shown through the lens of that author's and/or society's cultural norms. For example, Bram Stoker's personification of the female vampire sends very clear messages about how women fit into society, in accordance with the rigid structure and values ​​they are expected to adhere to. The character of Lucy in Bram Stoker's Dracula expresses intellect and sexuality in a way that is clearly threatening for the time since she is effectively punished in the text. Stoker then goes on to imply that since Lucy may have had sexual experiences with multiple men, her punishment for this sexual release is death. This text is clearly written by someone who believes in and upholds the ideals of a monogamous and patriarchal society. At the time, sin was easily classified as simple disobedience to religious values: purity is divine and sexuality is sinful. While the value of religion in our culture has declined since Stoker wrote Dracula, the source from which our culture derives and follows its values ​​has changed following the decline of religion, causing society to find ways to reinforce and dictate these values ​​itself. Vampire literature has always contained an element of threatening sexuality, especially when it comes to the female monster. Lillith was extremely sexually liberated and described as being the mother of all monsters, while Carmilla was a seductive vampire who drained and seduced those around her. Whether in the Bible, in the works of Stoker or even in Carmilla by Sheridan LeFanu, all threats against women's sexuality have been.?