Renfield - Dracula's Harmless Slave? | Documentary

Renfield is a fictional character in Bram Stoker’s Gothic masterpiece Dracula. Locked up in an asylum, Renfield plays an important function in Stoker’s novel by revealing the nature of vampirism to the doctor treating him and thereby the reader.

But is Renfield just a harmless invention from the mind of a Victorian story teller, or are there people who engage in Renfield-like behaviour as part of a twisted personality or mental illness?

Finding Out More

Academic References

Hervey, W. M., Catalano, G., & Catalano, M. C. (2016). Vampiristic behaviors in a patient with traumatic brain injury induced disinhibition. World journal of clinical cases, 4(6), 138.

Olry, R., & Haines, D. E. (2011). Renfield's Syndrome: A Psychiatric Illness Drawn from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 20(4), 368-371.

Prins, H. (1985). Vampirism—a clinical condition. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 146(6), 666-668.

Copyright Disclaimer
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.

Images
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Wellcome Collection
Internet Archive

Music

Chopin Cello Sonata in G Minor Christopher Harding (piano), Yeonjin Kim (cello) PD
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, second movement. Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Hugh Wolff CC4.0
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, "A Dream of a Witches' Sabbath", United States Marine Band, conducted by Lt. Col. Cline
Missing persons Jeremy Blake CC0
Cosmic nightmares Jimena Contreras CC0
The Sax of Ancient Terror Jimena Contreras CC0

Video edited by Manavi Sakunika and produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston

[Monkofmagnesia]

When I played Renfield on stage way back in 1981, I discovered that his name was R.M. Renfield and that nowhere in the book did Stroker reveal what the initials R.M. sttod for I bet you it is Richard Millhouse! :)

[MasterAlgae]

I've always been intrigued by Renfield, an insane asylum inmate being the knowing sentinel, feeling Dracula's shadow and forms before anyone else....

[barrydavis]

From Scotland. Many thanks for this little diversion. Fascinating. Another great post.

[anthonybutler]

Brilliant. Love how you move between the literary tellings and psychological realities. Your illustrating of both the truth of art and its limitations is very insightful. On top of this, this video, in a macabre way, is a lot of fun.

[millwoodthomas]

Thank you, I love all you do. I think I have watched them all. Have you ever considered Anne Rice or D.H. Lawrence as a topic?

❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[forceghostburtreynolds]

You have the perfect voice for audiobooks 👍

[applewagon]

The American serial killer Richard Chase had an interesting condition that reminds me of the character Renfield a bit (though I think he ultimately was just a paranoid schizophrenic). He had delusions that his blood had stopped flowing/organs had disappeared and needed to drink blood and eat organs to stay alive. He once tried to inject himself with rabbits blood 😮 He killed and ate birds while institutionalized as well. Also had flavors of Cotard’s syndrome. Very strange case.

[Zakarias-bg]

Interesting. I always learn something new from your videos. Thanks so much.

[Ellie-jgq]

Short but sweet - a little like Tom Cruise's Dracula! Thank you again, Professor. I'll have to read the book again, concentrating this time on Renfield.

[kidmohair]

both Wilkie Collins and Bram Stoker are both known, in our time, for one book,
though both wrote quite a few others.
an interesting (modern) public fixation.

[algini]

Hey Professor, can't wait to see what you will do with H.P. Lovecraft when you get around to it. He fits right in with your cast of talented and weird people that you flesh out better than anyone I have ever come across.

[Dalaruan]

Richard Trenton Chase (1950-1980), "the Vampire of Sacramento" comes to mind. He drank the blood of his victims believing that he needed it for his own physical survival.

[JuliaAlexandra]

Is kleptomania still a diagnosis? A glimpse of Winona Ryder gave me pause. Another wonderful piece Professor

[MonstroLab]

Love your channel! "🐺👈🏼Listen to them, children of de night! What MUSIC they make!" 🧛‍♂️-Bela L

[cosmobane]

0:28 I'm going to say this again, Stoker had a truckdriver charm

[richardshiggins]

At last I hear you calling Master ! Your devoted pupil, Dr. Renfield . Paris .

[sentientplant]

I totally didn't catch that Dr. Seward outwardly calls his patient "Mr. Renfield." I also cannot get past the part where Jonathan manages to come home and allows Mina to read his diary entires (it's SO SLOW!!)

[catherinepoloynis]

One of my favorite scenes in Dracula by Coppola is Tom Wait offering his visitor a canapé.

[afwalker]

In your own country, the National Health Service did a survey of blood drinkers and found that 45% of respondents were survivors of violent sexual assault as small children. There is a story here, too. I think these numbers are grossly underreported.

[outlawJosieFox]

Erotomania. What a word ! So a stalker is an erotomaniac?
Well, when you put it like
Loving your channel. Your lingo elevates me. ❤