A great case for zombie evidence is The Scarlet Letter. I had fun reading this American classic. Maybe it’s because we joined The Zombie Apocalypse Survivalists, but I kept comparing both the protagonist and the antagonist to Zombies, which was a very entertaining activity.
Roger Chillingworth is set out on a single-minded mission: to exact revenge on the good Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale for knocking-up his wife. He does this by “leeching” himself onto his victim and picking at his brain. Though he still appears human, his countenance is decidedly disfigured. He has no other goals or ambitions in life. His only pleasure comes from the tortured mind (brain) of his enemy.
True, Arthur Dimmesdale is plagued by his own guilt and religious oppression. I believe Arthur Dimmesdale died from a broken soul sometime after the arrival of “Roger Chillingworth”. Perhaps he joined the ranks of the walking dead. His own body betrays him and there is a strong suggestion of diseased (decaying?) flesh; all zombie-like in my opinion.
I’m sure there are other prime examples of zombie affliction in classic literature. I suspect even more so during the Victorian age.