A web search about gothic stories : find information about the gothic genre, several myths related to some gothic stories, and different adapted versions of Dracula’s story, gothic stories and vampire stories. Then prepare an oral account : you will present a story, its author, its gothic elements, and its modern adaptations or references. To illustrate your presentation, you can use a PowerPoint presentation or movie maker.

Compétences mises en oeuvre :
  CE (recherches sur sites)
  TICE (Power point/moviemaker)
  PPC (présentation orale)
  CECRL : B1

A) The gothic genre

Find information here about this literary genre :

  What does this genre combine ? Where does its name "gothic" come from ?
  When did it start ? Find the author who started the genre and his most famous novel.

B) Myths related to gothic stories : Find information about the following myths :

  Prometheus
  Aphrodite
  Echo and Narcissus

C) Examples to study

1) The woman in white, by Wilkie Collins, is considered as one of the finest mystery and sensation novels. Find information about it, the author and the TV adaptation. (see p 60,61)

2) The romance of the forest, by Ann Radcliffe, who was probably the most famous author of gothic stories of her time, combines mystery, suspense and tension between hedonism and morality. Present the author and the novel. (see p 60,61)

3) Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. Present both the novel and the film. (see p 60,61)

4) Dracula : present the story, the author of the novel, the origin of Dracula’s name...Watch this trailer and present it. (Director, date of release, actors, plot….)

5) Ann Rice’s “interview with the vampire". (present the film and the novel from which it was adapted)

6) Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (present the film and the novel from which it was adapted). Explain its subtitle : "The modern Prometheus"

7) Stephenie meyer’s “Twilight” (present the films and the novels from which they were adapted)

8) L J Smith’s “The vampire’s diaries” (present the series and the books from which it was adapted)

9) Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde can also be considered as a gothic story : present it and the movie adaptations.

10) Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, contains a lot of gothic elements : present the novel, the mythical references to eternal youth and beauty and the movie adaptations (watch a trailer here and find information about the 1945 version here.).