Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is in the pause: a vampire telling the truth with perfect manners, and the guest too polite to ask what he drinks instead. It is the line people quote when someone refuses a drink with a hint of menace, and it was loved enough that later stage versions of the play borrowed it.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for DraculaShow the scene
At the dinner in Castle Dracula in the 1931 film, the Count offers Renfield a glass of very old wine, hoping he will like it. Renfield notices that his host is not drinking and asks. Dracula answers with the line, the pause in the middle of it famous. It is not in Stoker's novel or the original stage play; it was written for this film, and the 1977 Broadway revival with Frank Langella later added it to the script.
Sources (2)
- Dracula (1931 English-language film), WikiquoteCastle scenes with RenfieldReference checked
- Dracula (1931 English-language film), WikipediaPlot; production and legacy notesReference checked
Context reviewed
