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| John Seward | |
|---|---|
| Dracula character | |
 Art byPablo Marcos | |
| First appearance | Dracula |
| Created by | Bram Stoker |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Dr. John Seward Dr. Seward |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Doctor of Medicine |
| Occupation | Doctor |
| Spouse | Wife (unnamed) |
| Nationality | British |
John "Jack"Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing inBram Stoker's 1897 novelDracula.
Seward is the administrator of aninsane asylum not far fromCount Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, Seward conducts ambitious interviews with one of his patients,R. M. Renfield, in order to understand better the nature of life-consumingpsychosis, or as he calls it, zoophagy. As a psychiatrist, Seward enjoys using the most up-to-date equipment, including using a recordingphonograph to record his interviews with his patients and his own notes. Several chapters of the novel consist of transcriptions of Seward's phonograph recordings. One of the main contributions made by Dr. Seward is his recordings of the events depicted from his personal perspective as a doctor; allowing the reader to gain a scientific understanding of the behaviour of vampirism through his behavioural analysis of Renfield.
He is best friends withQuincey Morris andArthur Holmwood. All three propose toLucy Westenra on the same day. Although Lucy turns down Seward's marriage proposal, his love for her remains, and he dedicates himself to her care when she is suddenly taken ill.
He calls in his mentor,Abraham Van Helsing, to help him with her illness, and he helps Seward to realise that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire and is doomed to become one herself. After she is officially destroyed and her soul can go to heaven, Seward is determined to destroy Dracula. The novel's epilogue mentions that Seward is now happily married.
Seward often appears in different screen adaptations ofDracula but in a wide variety of different roles. He is often referred to as "Jack" Seward. The most common change is to portray him not as Lucy's suitor, but asMina Harker's father (or sometimes Lucy's father). This was almost certainly based on theHamilton Deane -John L. Balderstonstage adaptation. Sometimes he is portrayed as just a doctor with no familial or romantic connections to other characters. Such portrayals include:
In recent years, the trend has been to return Seward to his role in the novel, as a suitor for Lucy's hand in marriage, in:
In the 1938Mercury Theatre on the Air radio production ofDracula, Seward's character was combined withArthur Holmwood's and renamed Arthur Seward. He was voiced byOrson Welles, who also voiced Dracula in the adaptation.
