According to historian Hayden White history bears a strong resemblance to literature and is in need of emplotment. In this paper I will attempt to support this theory, using the historical figure of Vlad III Dracula as a case study. Being a rather controversial figure even during his lifetime in the 15th century, Vlad, also known as Ţepes (the Impaler), became even more notorious after his death. First of all, the literature that began to circulate by the Saxons in the 15th century continued to spread well into the 17th century and triggered various oral traditions, some negative and some positive. This dichotomy soon became the norm as even historians debated whether Vlad III was the monster that some sources made him out to be. However, a novel written by an Irish author, Bram Stoker, in the end of the 19th century was bound to add yet another dimension to the infamous Wallachian Prince. As on one hand Count Dracula was readily associated with the historical Vlad III, especially in the West thus enhancing his monstrosity, on the other hand Romanian historiography was beginning to present Vlad Dracula as a national hero. This became even more prevalent during the 20th century and more specifically during Ceausescu’s reign so that it would fit the national ideology. So, it would seem that Vlad III is a rather good example to showcase Hayden White’s theory, since his story has been the subject of emplotment for centuries and continues to do so well into the 21st century
