Freely adapted from Lord Byron’s Fragment of a Novel, J.R. Planché’s The Vampire; or, the Bride of the Isles predates Dracula in its depiction of the vampire as a seductive, sophisticated, and noble figure. It also helped popularize the character of Lord Ruthven, a nefarious “creature of the night” who would later be immortalized in numerous films, operas, roleplaying games, novels and comic books. Set in the Scottish Isles, Planché’s play begins with our heroine having a prophetic vision of her own demise. Lady Margaret is besieged with a nightmarish visitation from a vampiric fiend who threatens to feast upon her blood. These premonitions are quickly borne out when she meets her betrothed, the villainous Lord Ruthven, an otherworldly creature alluded to in local gossip and rumor. He seeks to marry Margaret in order to drain her of her blood. Will her prophetic dreams come true? Or will she be saved from Ruthven’s villainous schemes?
By : James Planché (1796 - 1880)
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Act One
The play begins in the Cave of Fingal on the Island of Staffa, in Scotland. Lady Margaret lies, asleep, as spirits attempt to warn her of the dangerous vampire who will try to kill her. The vampire then arrives, only to retreat due to the spirits interference. The next scene takes place in Lord Ronald's castle, where his workers are drinking and discussing Lady Margaret's disappearance and return. Rumors begin to circulate about a monster who must marry his victims in order to drain them of their blood. They say these monsters, called vampires, must do this constantly in order to keep living. They ignore the rumors and begin to talk of Earl of Marsden, said to arrive in the morning. He is supposed to marry Lady Margaret, and Robert is supposed to marry Effie on the same day.
The next scene shows Margaret talking to Bridget about falling asleep in cave after becoming lost. She saw an attractive man reach out to her, but his features grew monstrous, and she fled in terror, running straight into the rescue party looking for her. Margaret still feels uneasy about the events. Her father, Lord Ronald, enters, telling Margaret about the man she is going to marry. Ronald and Lord Ruthven had been friends long ago, and Ruthven had, according to Ronald, died protecting him. Ronald learned of his brother, the Earl of Marsden, and the two arranged a union between Lady Margret and the earl. The Earl of Marsden then arrives and is discovered to be Lord Ruthven. Margaret, recognizing the man to be the monster from last night, faints. Once she is revived, Ruthven uses his powers to bewitch her. The marriage is confirmed and Ruthven laments that he must kill Margaret to survive. When he learns of Effie, he attempts to bewitch her instead. She resists and he attempts to take her away, but Robert sees this and shoots Ruthven.
Act Two
Lord Ronald, who saw Ruthven get shot, becomes angered at Robert and leaves to tell Margaret the sad news. When he arrives, he discovers that Ruthven is already there, talking with Margaret. He is shocked to see him still alive, and attempts to tell others that Ruthven is dead. Lord Ruthven has him taken away by servants, claiming he is not well. With time running out for Ruthven to drain Margaret, he entices her to marry as soon as possible. Even though she is still upset about her father, Margaret agrees and prepares to be married before the sunrise. As they are led to the altar, Lord Ronald bursts in with Robert and others who believe Ruthven to be a vampire. Margaret runs to her father as Robert and Ruthven fight until the sun begins to rise. With Lord Ruthven's time up, he is struck down by lightning.
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