Buffy vs. Dracula: humanity vs. excessiveness

I thought our discussion of how Dracula has come to represent excessiveness and over-abundance/passion was really interesting, especially because you wouldn't really expect it from "the Undead." I think the concept of humanity in Buffy is actually quite complicated because of this weird paradox (that Dracula is simultaneously immoderate and -- dare I say it? -- attractive in an all-too-human sense). Of anything Buffy has had to slay so far, Dracula has had the most personal affect on her; she is most certainly "seduced" by him. And conversely, I think Dracula is legitimately intrigued by Buffy on a human level, even if it manifests itself in the form of violent blood lust. So the idea that Dracula is also on this higher plane in terms of how he lives his life makes for a fascinating contrast between opposites -- one that I think must be crucial to an understanding of the Dracula archetype. And the point we brought in class about how Dracula seeks someone whose power rivals his own seems to me to confirm that interesting juxtaposition; although Dracula is extremely powerful and passionate, he seeks a human who can serve as a good match for him. And fortunately, that results in Buffy having to relinquish some of her defense mechanisms (whether she wants to or not) in order to meet him halfway (all of which is ironic!).