10 Most Immortal Characters In The Literature
Immortality befits the best and Bruce Lee was spot on when he said that “the key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering”. There is no denying that books have been a medium of escape to another world- a world free from the everyday chores of life and worries. Novels are made famous due to their characters and some of these characters have been depicted so magnificently that one can’t help but wonder: how would it feel if they stepped out of the story and appeared in your living room? Despite the day dreams, these characters had a lot to teach us in the process of reading them. Some of them are universally known. They have been immortalized by the way they were portrayed.
1. Tarzan
The fictional character created by Edgar Rice has managed to charm both children and adults alike. One would be surprised to hear that there have been a total of 89 movies between 1918 and 2016 that contain Tarzan as its central character! Television, radio and video games also featured the popular ape-child. Tall, handsome and with long black hair, the character first appeared in the novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ in 1912. And who can forget that jungle call of his! He is someone who won’t be forgotten for a simple reason: he did what we could not. He experienced civilization, but later rejected it to return to the wild: his one and only true home.
2. Heidi
For many children, Heidi was a part and parcel of their childhood. The young adorable girl was created by Johanna Spyri and was originally published in two parts. The story portrays Heidi going to stay with her grandfather on the top of the Swiss mountains. Even though he resents her coming at first, soon enough she manages to break his rough exterior and bring out the caring aspect in him. Although the abridged version of the book is easily available these days in bookstores everywhere, it’d be better to get the original version and enjoy it. After all, it was written as a book “for children and those who love children.” And everyone who has read this brilliant piece of Swiss literature agrees that it is something not to miss.
3. Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s terrifying piece of work, Frankenstein. Creating a zombie-like person out of dead people picked from graveyards and bringing him to life was enough to steal any child’s sleep at night. What many people don’t realize and make a mistake about is that Frankenstein is actually the scientist who creates the monster and not the monster itself! The creature has no name and is often called ‘fiend’, ‘the demon’ or ‘ogre’. Considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction, Frankenstein has been shown in several films, television shows and plays. However, the concept is as terrifying as it was back then.
4. Romeo
One needn’t even talk about the famous Romeo. Born through the works of Shakespeare, this handsome enigma appears in the bard’s tragedy ‘Romeo & Juliet’. The theme is so universal that it had no trouble getting to people’s hearts. Loving someone from your enemy clan and eventually dying for them: this was the stuff legends were made of! Needless to say, there have been dozens of films and plays that have adapted this unfulfilled love story.
5. Dr. Jekyll
Dr. Jekyll has become famous from the novella ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story is that of suspense and mystery. A lawyer investigates strange occurrences happening between his old friend Dr. Jekyll and the evil, Edward Hyde. Eventually, we get to know that both these characters are one and the same, but the thought process is coming to that conclusion which is nothing short of incredible! The work is commonly associated with the mental condition known as ‘Multiple Personality Disorder’ where the person splits his mind into two. This book is a classic example of the battle between good and evil.
6. Hamlet
Another character written by the genius, Shakespeare, Hamlet’s character is as classy as it gets. ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ is the play he appears in and tells the story of Prince Hamlet who sets upon to exact revenge upon his uncle for murdering his father, the King. This work has inspired writers ranging from Dickens to James Joyce and has been the most filmed story after Cinderella. The novella has religious, philosophical as well as feminist contexts to it, which makes it all the more complex yet interesting to read.
7. Dracula
Who can forget the horrifying character of Count Dracula and the chemistry between him and his nemesis Van Helsing? Bram Stoker beautifully writes about Dracula’s attempt to move to England and the struggles, battles it has to face in the process. The novel has themes like role of women, colonialism and cultural aspects. But the most terrifying theme was that of horror. No wonder it was called “the most blood-curling novel of the paralyzed century.”
8. Harry Potter
Everyone remembers Dumbledore’s speeches at the beginning of each year, the feeling Harry gets when he opens presents on Christmas Day and the adventures that the trio encounter. Not to mention the hair-raising battles between Lord Voldemort and the teenager. The ‘Harry Potter’ literary series has taken all of us for such a joyride that it is hard to believe the first novel came out more than 16 years ago! Now, with 7 novels and 8 films to its credit, the 'Boy Who Lived' has defined our childhood and touched our hearts. No wonder the HP fandom erupted with joy upon hearing the news that a movie based upon the supplementary book of ‘Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them’ was being made and a second installment is almost on its way, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald.
9. Sherlock Holmes
One has to be ever-thankful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for creating a detective so intelligent and suave that one can’t help but get lost in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Watson at 221B, Baker Street. First appearing in 1887, there have been 4 novels and 56 short-stories featuring the suave detective. ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ and ‘The Five Orange Pips’ are the most famous. The author has successfully managed to create the most immortal detective in literature with Sherlock Holmes and readers are more than grateful for that. The movies and the brilliant modern-day television shows are just an added bonus!
10. Cinderella
Cinderella’s story is as evergreen as it was earlier. Also known as ‘The Little Glass Slipper’, this story was read by everyone in the popular Grimms’ Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm. The word ‘Cinderella’ has come to mean someone who unexpectedly becomes famous overnight and that is literally what happened with the damsel in distress. The various versions that the story has in China, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Britain and Europe are worth a read in itself. Apart from being translated into 52 languages, it has been adapted into ballets, films, on television and even in theaters.
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