List of Shakespearean characters (L–Z)

Q

• Queen (title):
  • Player Queen or Second Player, in Hamlet, plays the queen in The Mousetrap.
  • Queen, in Cymbeline, is the scheming wife of the title character, who attempts to manipulate events so that her son, Cloten, inherits the throne.
  • Three Queens, plead to Theseus to intercede with the tyrant Creon, who has killed their husbands in battle, in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
  • Queen Eleanor (
    King John
    . She takes a liking to Philip the Bastard, and recruits him to John's court.
  • Queen Elizabeth (
    foil
    to Richard.
  • The Queen of France (hist) appears in the last act of Henry V.
  • Queen Gertrude is the protagonist's mother in Hamlet. She has married Claudius.
  • Queen (unnamed, a composite of the historical Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois) is Richard's queen in Richard II, exiled upon his deposition.
  • Queen Katherine of Aragon (hist) is the first wife of King Henry in Henry VIII. She falls from grace, is divorced and dies.
  • Queen Margaret (hist) appears as a naive girl in Henry VI, Part 1 and as an embittered old woman in Richard III. She is a central character of the two intervening plays, Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3, in which she is the wife of Henry VI, and a leader of his armies. In her most notable scene she supervises the murder/execution of Richard Duke of York.
  • Numerous characters are, or become, queens including Anne Bullen, Cleopatra, Cordelia, Hermione, Lady Anne, Lady Macbeth and Titania
• Mistress Quickly (fict) is an important character in Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. She is noted for her lewd malapropisms and double entendres. She is an innkeeper's wife (later his widow) in the Henry plays. She has a different personality, and a different relationship to other characters, in Merry Wives, where she is a servant to Doctor Caius. In Henry V (play) she marries Pistol and later dies of disease.
• Peter Quince is a carpenter in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays the prologue to Pyramus and Thisbe.
• Quintus and Martius, two sons of Titus Andronicus, have the same story: returning from the wars they sacrifice one of Tamora's sons. They defy their father over Saturninus' claim to the hand of Lavinia. They are framed and executed for Bassianus' murder.

R

• Ragozine is a prisoner of the state of Vienna in Measure for Measure. He dies of a fever, and his head is sent to Angelo in place of Claudio's.
• Rambures (hist) is a French lord in Henry V.
• Sir Richard Ratcliffe (hist) is a confidant of Richard in Richard III.
• Several reapers dance in the masque in The Tempest.
• Hugh Rebeck, Simon Catling and James Soundpost are minor characters, musicians, in Romeo and Juliet.
• Regan is the cruel second daughter in King Lear. She is married to the Duke of Cornwall.
• Reignier (
  hist) is the impoverished king of Naples and Jerusalem, and father to Queen Margaret, in Henry VI, Part 1
  .
• Reynaldo is a minor character, an agent of Polonius, in Hamlet.
• Richard:
  • King Richard II (hist) is the title character of Richard II: a king who is deposed and eventually murdered.
  • Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III (hist), brave but evil, is the third son of Richard, Duke of York (1). He is a fairly minor character in Henry VI, Part 2, is more prominent in Henry VI, Part 3, and is the titular antagonist in Richard III.
  • Richard, Duke of York (1) (hist) is a central character in Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 2, and Henry VI, Part 3. He is the Yorkist claimant to the throne of England, in opposition to Henry VI, and he is eventually killed on the orders of Queen Margaret.
  • Richard, Duke of York (2) (hist) is the younger of the two Princes in the Tower, murdered on the orders of Richard in Richard III.
  • Sir Richard Ratcliffe (hist) is a confidant of Richard in Richard III.
  • Sir Richard Vernon is a follower of the rebel forces in Henry IV, Part 1.
  • See also Philip (the Bastard) Faulconbridge, who is renamed "Sir Richard" by the King in King John, and is often addressed as such.
• The Earl of Richmond, later King Henry VII (hist) leads the rebellion against the cruel rule of Richard III, and eventually succeeds him as king.
• Earl Rivers (hist), is the brother to Queen Elizabeth in Richard III. He is arrested and executed on the orders of Richard and Buckingham.
• Robert:
  • Robert is a servingman of Mistress Ford: he carries Falstaff to Datchet Mead in a buck-basket, in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
  • Robert Faulconbridge (fict) is the legitimate brother of the bastard in King John. He inherits his father's property.
  • See also Justice Shallow, whose first name is Robert.
• Robin:
  • Robin Starveling is a tailor in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays "Moonshine" in Pyramus and Thisbe.
  • See The Boy (who is called Robin in The Merry Wives of Windsor).
  • See Puck (who is also called Robin Goodfellow).
• Roderigo is a gentleman suitor to Desdemona in Othello. He is gulled by Iago throughout the play, and eventually Iago murders him.
• Roman:
  • A Roman (named Ninacor) encounters the Volsce, Adrian, with news that Coriolanus is banished from Rome, in Coriolanus.
  • Three Romans, with pillage, appear briefly in Coriolanus.
  • See the other part of a character's title where "Roman" is used as an adjective (e.g. see "Captain" for "Roman Captain").
  • See also Citizen, which is Shakespeare's more usual description for unnamed Romans. Similarly, see Plebeians, Senators, Tribunes
• Romeo is a title character in Romeo and Juliet. The son of Montague, he falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of his father's enemy Capulet, with tragic results.
• Rosalind is the central character of As You Like It. She spends the bulk of the play in exile in the Forest of Arden disguised as a boy called Ganymede.
• Rosaline
  • Rosaline is lady attending on the Princess of France in Love's Labour's Lost. She becomes romantically entangled with Berowne.
  • "Rosaline" is who Romeo is initially in love with in "Romeo and Juliet" before falling for Juliet
  • See also Rosalind, who is sometimes addressed as Rosaline.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two former friends of the protagonist in Hamlet, invited to the Danish court to spy on him. They eventually accompany Hamlet towards England, but he escapes while they continue with the journey, to their deaths.
• Ross
  • Lord Ross (
    hist) is a supporter of Bolingbroke in Richard II
    .
  • Ross is a thane in Macbeth.
• Rousillon:
  • The Countess of Rousillon is Bertram's mother, and Helena's protector, in All's Well That Ends Well.
  • See also Bertram, who is Count of Rousillon.
• John Rugby is a servant to Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
• Rumour is the prologue to Henry IV, Part 2.
• Rutland (
  dramatic licence
  .)
  • For Rycas, see Countryman.
• Rynaldo is a steward to the Countess of Rousillion, in All's Well That Ends Well. He reveals to the countess that Helena loves Bertram.

S

• Sailors:
  • Several sailors, one of whom is a speaking role, deliver letters in Hamlet.
  • A sailor brings news of a Turkish fleet to the Venetian Senate, in Othello.
  • Two sailors appear in the storm scene of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, insisting that Thaisa's body be buried at sea, immediately.
  • A sailor of Tyre and a sailor of Mytilene, appear briefly in the shipboard reconciliation scene between Pericles and Marina in Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
  • Numerous characters are sailors (and see also Master, Boatswain, Captain). Also "sailors" is a common designation for supernumerary characters.
• Salarino is a friend of Solanio, Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice.
• Salerio is a friend of Solanio, Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice.
• Salisbury:
  • The Earl of Salisbury (
    King John
    .
  • The Earl of Salisbury (
    hist) remains loyal to King Richard in Richard II
    .
  • The Earl of Salisbury (
    hist) fights for the king in Henry V. He is killed by the Master Gunner's Boy in Henry VI, Part 1
    .
  • The Earl of Salisbury (hist) supports the Yorkists in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Sampson and Gregory, two men of the Capulet household, open the main action of Romeo and Juliet with their aggressive and lecherous banter.
• Lord Sandys (pronounced "sands") (
  hist) is a courtier in Henry VIII
  .
• Saturninus becomes emperor of Rome, and marries Tamora, in Titus Andronicus.
• Lord Saye (hist) is an enemy of Jack Cade, killed by the rebels, in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Lord Scales (
  hist) is an enemy of Jack Cade's rebels in Henry VI, Part 2
  .
• Scarus (hist?) is a follower of Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. He reports Antony's retreat to Enobarbus.
• Schoolmaster:
  • A Schoolmaster acts as ambassador from Antony to Caesar, in Antony and Cleopatra.
  • See also Gerald.
  • A number of characters are schoolmasters, including Holofernes and Sir Hugh Evans.
• A Scottish Doctor witnesses Lady Macbeth sleepwalking in Macbeth.
• A scout of the French army reports that the English army has regrouped and is ready to attack, in Henry VI, Part 1.
• A scribe to the court, and a crier to the court, are minor roles – but they usually have dramatic impact – in the trial scene of Henry VIII.
• A scrivener (fict) explains the hypocrisy of Lord Hastings' indictment, in Richard III.
• Scroop:
  • Lord Scroop (hist) is one of the three conspirators against the king's life (with Cambridge and Grey) in Henry V.
  • Scroop (hist) supports Richard in Richard II.
  • See also Archbishop of York.
• George Seacoal is a member of the Watch in Much Ado About Nothing.
• Sebastian:
  • Sebastian is the twin brother of Viola in Twelfth Night. He is often mistaken for her male persona, Cesario, and Olivia marries him under that misapprehension.
  • Sebastian is the brother of Alonso in
    The Tempest
    . He conspires with Antonio to murder Alonzo and Gonzalo.
  • See also Julia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, who calls herself Sebastian in her male disguise.
• For "Second...", see entries under the rest of the character's designation (e.g. Murderer for Second Murderer, Player for Second Player, etc.).
• A Secretary to Cardinal Wolsey is a minor role in Henry VIII: he has prepared Buckingham's Surveyor's examination.
• Seleucus is Cleopatra's treasurer, in Antony and Cleopatra.
• Sempronius:
  • Sempronius is a lord in Timon of Athens, who flatters Titus but proves a false friend.
  • Sempronius, Caius and Valentine are minor characters, kinsmen and supporters of Titus, in Titus Andronicus.
• Senator:
  • Several Senators, two of which are speaking roles, hear Brabantio's complaint against Othello, in Othello.
  • At least four Senators, or more (depending upon if and how they are doubled) appear in Timon of Athens:
    • A Senator is a creditor of Timon, and sends Caphis to collect the debt.
    • Three Senators anger Alcibiades by insisting upon a death sentence for his friend.
    • Two Senators visit Timon in the woods, begging his assistance for Athens.
    • Two further Senators hear of the failure of the previous two Senators' approach to Timon.
    • Two Senators negotiate Athens' surrender to Alcibiades.
    • Senators are also supernumerary characters at Timon's second feast.
  • The Roman Senators, two of them speaking roles, appear in
    Coriolanus
    , both as friends and enemies to the title character.
  • Two Senators and a Tribune discuss the prospects of their impending war with the Britons, in Cymbeline.
  • Many major characters in the Roman plays are Senators.
  • Senators are often supernumerary characters in the Roman and Venetian plays.
• Duke Senior is the father of Rosalind. He is the true duke, and has been usurped by his brother, Duke Frederick at the start of As You Like It.
• For Sennois, see Countryman.
• Two Sentinels, one a speaking role, appear with a Sergeant on the walls of Orleans, in Henry VI, Part 1.
• A Sentry and the Watch (two of whom are minor speaking roles) witness the death of Enobarbus, in Antony and Cleopatra.
• A French Sergeant appears with two Sentinels on the walls of Orleans, in Henry VI, Part 1.
• A Sergeant-at-Arms accompanies Brandon in the arrest of Buckingham, in Henry VIII.
• Servant:
  • Diomedes' Servant is sent with a message to Cressida, in Troilus and Cressida.
  • Paris' Servant has a clownish exchange with Pandarus in Troilus and Cressida.
  • A servant (who Shakespeare may have intended to be the same character as "Peter") needs the help of Romeo and Benvolio to read the guest list for Capulet's party, in Romeo and Juliet.
  • A servant to the Lord Chief Justice is abused by Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2.
  • A servant to Olivia is a minor character in Twelfth Night.
  • A servant to Cardinal Wolsey is a minor character in Henry VIII. He announces the arrival of the disguised king and his followers to Wolsey's party.
  • Two servants (fict) of Piers of Exton are sounding-boards for his plan to murder Richard, in Richard II.
  • Two servants (plus a third named Philemon) follow Lord Cerimon, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
  • Three unnamed servants appear in King Lear, including one who dies killing the cruel Duke of Cornwall.
  • Three unnamed servants appear in Julius Caesar:
    • A servant of Caesar is sent to bid the priests do present sacrifice, on the morning of the ides of March, and reports the ill-omen that the sacrificed beast had no heart.
    • A servant of Antony comes to the conspirators after the murder of Caesar, to discover whether it is safe for his master to meet them.
    • A servant of Octavius carries messages between Octavius and Antony.
  • In Antony and Cleopatra:
    • A servant of Antony reports that Thidias has been soundly whipped.
    • A servant informs Cleopatra of the approach of a messenger from Caesar.
    • "Two or three" servants, two of them speaking roles, lay out a banquet for Pompey and the Triumvirs.
    • "Three or four" servants speak the unison line "The gods forbid!".
  • Numerous servants appear in Timon of Athens:
    • Isidore's Servant pursues his master's claim for money due from Timon. (Isidore is not a character.)
    • Lucius' Servant (at one point addressed as Lucius) is among the servants clamouring for payment of their master's debts in the second such scene, prompting Timon to announce his second feast.
    • Lucullus' Servant announces Flaminius' arrival at Lucullus' home, and provides wine.
    • Two of Varro's servants pursue their master's claim for money due from Timon. (Varro is not a character, although his first servant is at one point addressed as Varro.)
    • A servant to the First Lord reports that horses are ready, for Lords to leave Timon's first feast.
    • Three servants of Timon make announcements at Timon's first feast, and later – with Flavius – mourn for Timon's poverty, and the loss of their jobs.
    • A servant of Timon approaches Sempronius – unsuccessfully – with a request for funds for Timon.
    • Three of Timon's servants are named characters: Flaminius, Lucilius and Servilius. (See their separate entries.) They may, or may not, have been intended to be doubled with the un-named servants mentioned in the play.
    • The play may contain other supernumerary servants, depending upon how parts are doubled in performance.
    • See also Caphis, Hortensius, Philotus and Titus.
  • Talbot's Servant accompanies the dying Talbot, in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • For Troilus' Servants, see Boy and Man.
  • Numerous characters in the plays are servants. Also, "servant" is a common designation for supernumerary characters.
  • See also Servingman.
• Servilius is a servant of Timon of Athens, sent – unsuccessfully – to seek money for his master from Lucius.
• Servingman:
  • A servingman (fict) to the Duke of York brings news of the Duchess of Gloucester's death in Richard II.
  • Three servingmen to Aufidius discuss the arrival of their master's former arch-enemy as a guest in
    Coriolanus
    .
  • Four servingmen (two of them called "Anthony" and "Potpan") are minor speaking roles in the build-up to Capulet's party in Romeo and Juliet.
  • Numerous servingmen of Winchester and Gloucester (one of Gloucester's being a minor speaking role) brawl in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Several servingmen of the Lord, three of whom are speaking roles, attend the hung-over Christopher Sly, trying to fool him into believing he is a lord, in the induction to The Taming of the Shrew.
  • Numerous characters in the plays are servingmen. Also, "servingman" is a common designation for supernumerary characters.
  • See also Servant.
• For Servitor, see Servant.
• A Sexton supervises Dogberry's inept examination of Conrade and Borachio, in Much Ado About Nothing.
• Pompey or Sextus Pompeius (
  hist) is the enemy of the Triumvirate in Antony and Cleopatra
  .
• Seyton is a servant in Macbeth.
• Seyward:
  • Seyward (hist) is the Earl of Northumberland in Macbeth.
  • Young Seyward (hist) is the son of the Earl of Northumberland in Macbeth.
• Shadow is pressed into military service by Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Justice Shallow (fict) is an elderly landowner in Henry IV, Part 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor
  .
• Shepherd:
  • Old Shepherd is the kindly father of the Clown in The Winter's Tale, who adopts the abandoned Perdita as his daughter.
  • A Shepherd says that he is Joan's father, but she disowns him, in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • A number of characters are shepherds or shepherdesses, including Corin, Dorcas, Mopsa and Silvius.
• Sheriff:
  • A Sheriff holds Eleanor in custody in Henry VI, Part 2.
  • A Sheriff of Wiltshire (fict) denies the condemned Buckingham access to King Richard, in Richard III.
• Shylock is a central character in The Merchant of Venice – a Jewish money-lender who claims a pound of Antonio's flesh.
• Sicilius Leonatus, father of Posthumus in Cymbeline, appears as a ghost, and pleads to Jupiter to resolve Posthumus' troubles.
• Sicinius Velutus and Junius Brutus, two of the tribunes of the people, are the protagonist's chief political enemies in
  Coriolanus
  , and prove more effective than his military foes.
• Justice Silence (fict) is an elderly friend of Justice Shallow in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Silius is a follower of Antony, in Antony and Cleopatra.
• Silvia is the faithful lover of Valentine, and the victim of an attempted rape by Proteus, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
• Silvius is a shepherd, in love with Phebe, in As You Like It.
• Simon Catling, Hugh Rebeck and James Soundpost are minor characters, musicians, in Romeo and Juliet.
• Simonides, king of Pentapolis in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, pretends to oppose the romance between his daughter Thaisa and the hero but in fact is delighted by it.
• Simpcox (fict) claims to have been cured of blindness in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Simpcox's Wife is the wife of Simpcox in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Simple is a servant to Slender in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
• For Siward see Seyward.
• Abraham Slender is a foolish suitor to Anne, and a kinsman of Shallow, in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
• Christopher Sly is a drunken tinker in the induction to The Taming of the Shrew. He is gulled into believing he is a lord.
• Smith the Weaver (fict) is a follower of Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Snare is a constable in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Tom Snout is a tinker in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays "Wall" in Pyramus and Thisbe.
• Snug is a joiner in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays the lion in Pyramus and Thisbe.
• Solanio is a friend and counterpart of Salerio in The Merchant of Venice.
• Soldier:
  • A soldier discovers that Timon has died, and reports this to the senators, in Timon of Athens.
  • An English soldier (fict) achieves some plunder at the siege of Orleans "using no other weapon but [Talbot's] name", in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Several soldiers, of whom "first soldier" is an important speaking role and "second soldier" a minor speaking role, take part in the capture and mock-interrogation of Parolles, in All's Well That Ends Well.
  • Two of Coriolanus' soldiers, and one of Aufidius' soldiers, have minor speaking roles in
    Coriolanus
    .
  • Two soldiers of Antony's party capture Lucilius, believing him to be Brutus, in Julius Caesar.
  • Three soldiers of Brutus' and Cassius' party each speak the one word "stand!" in Julius Caesar.
  • Four French soldiers (fict), one of them a speaking role, accompany Joan into Rouen disguised as peasants, in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Several Soldiers have minor speaking roles in Antony and Cleopatra, including:
    • a soldier who discusses the progress of the war with Canidius;
    • four soldiers who hear the strange sound of hautboys beneath the stage;
    • a soldier who acts as a messenger to Antony;
    • a group of Antony's soldiers who share the unison line "Good morrow, General!";
    • one of Antony's soldiers who informs his leader that Enobarbus has deserted to follow Caesar; and
    • one of Caesar's soldiers who informs Enobarbus that Antony has sent Enobarbus his treasure.
  • Soldiers give the shout that Hector is slain by Achilles, in Troilus and Cressida.
  • "Soldiers" is a common designation for supernumerary characters.
• Solinus is the Duke of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors.
• Somerset:
  • The Duke of Somerset (1) (hist) is a follower of King Henry in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • The Duke of Somerset (2) (hist) appears among the Lancastrian faction in Henry VI, Part 2. His head is carried onstage by Richard (later Richard III) in the opening scene of Henry VI, Part 3.
  • The Duke of Somerset (3)is a conflation by Shakespeare of two historical Dukes of Somerset (
    Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset). He supports both factions at different stages of Henry VI, Part 3
    .
• Somerville (fict) is a follower of Warwick in Henry VI, Part 3.
• Son:
  • Macduff's Son
    is murdered on Macbeth's orders.
  • A Son who has killed his father at the Battle of Towton appears in Henry VI, Part 3. See also Father.
• Soothsayer:
  • A Soothsayer wisely warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March, in Julius Caesar.
  • A Soothsayer attends on Lucius, and eventually interprets the book given to Posthumus by Jupiter, in Cymbeline.
  • A Soothsayer makes a number of predictions, all of which come true in their own way, in Antony and Cleopatra.
• James Soundpost, Simon Catling and Hugh Rebeck are minor characters, musicians, in Romeo and Juliet.
• Southwell, with Hume, Jourdain and Bolingbroke, are the supernatural conspirators with Eleanor Duchess of Gloucester in Henry VI, Part 2.
• A Spaniard, a Frenchman and a Dutchman are guests of Philario, in Cymbeline.
• Speed is the slow-witted servant of Valentine, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
• A spirit is conjured by Jourdain, Southwell, Hume and Bolingbroke to answer Eleanor's questions, in Henry VI, Part 2.
• A number of sprites serve Prospero in
  The Tempest
  .
• The Mayor of St. Albans appears briefly in the "Simpcox" episode in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Robin Starveling is a tailor in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays "Moonshine" in Pyramus and Thisbe.
• Stafford:
  • Lord Stafford (hist) is a non-speaking Yorkist in Henry VI, Part 3.
  • Sir Humphrey Stafford (hist) is an enemy of Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2.
  • Stafford's Brother (hist) is an enemy of Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Stanley:
  • Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby (hist) is a military leader who ultimately reveals his loyalty to the Richmond faction, in spite of his son being a hostage to Richard, in Richard III.
  • Sir John Stanley supervises Eleanor's penance in Henry VI, Part 2.
  • Sir William Stanley (
    hist), the historical brother of Lord Stanley from Richard III, is a minor character of the Yorkist faction in Henry VI, Part 3
    .
• Stephano:
  • The Tempest
    . He conspires with Caliban and Trinculo to kill Prospero and become king of the island.
  • Stephano is a servant of Portia, in The Merchant of Venice.
• Steward:
  • For "Steward" in All's Well That Ends Well, see Rynaldo.
  • A number of characters are stewards, most notably Flavius, Malvolio and Philostrate.
• Three Strangers (one of them named Hostilius) witness Lucius' hypocrisy in claiming he would help Timon, but then failing to do so, in Timon of Athens.
• Strato is a servant of Brutus in Julius Caesar. He holds Brutus' sword, so that Brutus may kill himself by running onto it.
• Suffolk:
  • The Duke of Suffolk (hist) is a courtier, cynical about the King's relationship with Anne Bullen, in Henry VIII.
  • The Duke of Suffolk (William de la Pole) (hist) is a manipulative character, loved by Queen Margaret, in Henry VI, Part 1 and Henry VI, Part 2.
• Surrey:
  • The Duke of Surrey (hist) accuses Aumerle of plotting Woodstock's death in Richard II.
  • The Earl of Surrey is a supporter of the king in Henry IV, Part 2.
  • The Earl of Surrey (hist) is a son-in-law of Buckingham in Henry VIII.
• A Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham gives evidence of his (alleged) treachery, in Henry VIII.
• Syracuse:
  • Antipholus of Syracuse, twin of Antipholus of Ephesus – with whom he is often confused, is a central character in The Comedy of Errors.
  • Dromio of Syracuse, servant to Antipholus of Syracuse and twin of Dromio of Ephesus – with whom he is often confused, is a central character in The Comedy of Errors.

T

• For Taborer, see Timothy.
• A Tailor is verbally abused by Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew.
• Talbot:
  • John Talbot is the son of Sir John Talbot. They die together bravely in battle in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Sir John Talbot (hist) is the leader of the English forces in France, and therefore the chief enemy of Joan, in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Talbot's Servant accompanies the dying Talbot, in Henry VI, Part 1.
• Tamora is the evil queen of the Goths who marries Saturninus in Titus Andronicus.
• Taurus (hist) is a follower of Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra.
• Doll Tearsheet (fict) is a whore, who is emotionally involved with Falstaff, and is later arrested for murder in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Thaisa, the wife of the title character in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, is buried at sea, believed dead. However her coffin washes up on shore, she is revived by Cerimon, and she becomes a priestess at the temple of Diana.
• Thaliard is a lord of Antioch, ordered to kill Pericles, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
• For Thane see Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, Lennox, Ross, Menteth, Angus and Cathness, all from Macbeth.
• Thersites is a clown, who serves firstly Ajax and later Achilles, in Troilus and Cressida.
• Theseus (myth) is the Duke of Athens in A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Two Noble Kinsmen.
• Thidias (hist) is a follower of Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, sent with messages to Cleopatra and to Antony. Antony has him whipped before sending him back to his master.
• For "Third...", see entries under the rest of the character's designation (e.g. Murderer for Third Murderer, Player for Third Player, etc.).
• For Thisbe see Francis Flute.
• Thomas:
  • Friar Thomas leads an order of friars, and assists Vincentio to disguise himself as a friar, in Measure for Measure.
  • Sir Thomas Erpingham (
    hist) is an officer in the English army in Henry V
    .
  • Sir Thomas Grey (hist) is one of the three conspirators against the king's life (with Cambridge and Scroop) in Henry V.
  • Sir Thomas Lovell (hist) is a courtier of King Henry, in Henry VIII.
  • Sir Thomas Vaughan (
    hist) is executed, alongside Rivers and Grey, in Richard III
    .
  • Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (hist) is a major character in the last act of Henry VIII: hauled before the privy council by his enemies and threatened with imprisonment, but protected by the king.
  • Thomas Cromwell (
    hist) is secretary to Wolsey, and later to the Privy Council, in Henry VIII
    .
  • Thomas, Duke of Clarence (
    hist) is Hal's younger brother, who appears in Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V
    .
  • Thomas Horner (fict) fights a duel with his apprentice Peter Thump in Henry VI, Part 2.
  • Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk (hist) is Bolingbroke's enemy, exiled by Richard, in Richard II.
  • For Thomas Percy, see Earl of Worcester.
  • See also Tom.
• Peter Thump (fict) fights a duel with his master Thomas Horner in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Thurio is a cowardly suitor to Silvia (and therefore a rival of Valentine) in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
• Timandra and Phrynia are whores, or mistresses of Alcibiades, in Timon of Athens.
• Time, personified, acts as a chorus in The Winter's Tale, bridging the sixteen-year gap between the third and fourth acts.
• Timon (hist) is the central character of Timon of Athens. His over-generosity leads him into poverty, and his friends abandon him.
• Timothy plays a tabor in the Maying ceremony in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
• Titania is Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream
  . Under the influence of love in idleness, she falls in love with Bottom (with his ass's head).
• Titinius is a loyal follower of Cassius, in Julius Caesar. He kills himself with Cassius' sword, at Philippi.
• Titus:
  • Titus is a servant, sent to extract payment of a debt from Timon of Athens.
  • Titus Andronicus is the central character of Titus Andronicus. Broken and sent mad by Tamora and her followers, he eventually exacts his revenge by killing her sons, and cooking them for her to eat.
  • Titus Lartius and Cominius are leaders of the Roman forces against the Volscians in
    Coriolanus
    .
• Sir Toby Belch is a drunken knight, and kinsman to Olivia, in Twelfth Night
  .
• Tom:
  • Tom Snout is a tinker in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He plays "Wall" in Pyramus and Thisbe.
  • For Poor Tom see Edgar.
  • See also Thomas.
• For Sir Topas see Feste.
• Touchstone is a clown in As You Like It.
• Tranio is a servant to Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew. He disguises himself as Lucentio, to enable Lucentio carry through his disguise.
• Travers (fict) is a messenger to the Earl of Northumberland in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Trebonius (
  hist) is one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar
  .
• Tressell and Berkeley (fict) are the two gentlemen accompanying Lady Anne, and Henry VI's coffin, in Richard III.
• Tribune:
  • A Tribune and two senators discuss the prospects of their impending war with the Britons, in Cymbeline.
  • Several characters are Tribunes, including Flavius and Marullus in
    Coriolanus
    .
• Trinculo is a clown, a friend to Stephano, in
  The Tempest
  .
• Troilus (myth) is a young Trojan prince who falls in love with Cressida during the Trojan War in Troilus and Cressida.
• Troy/Trojan:
  • For Sir Pandarus of Troy, see Pandarus.
  • For King of Troy see Priam.
  • Numerous characters in Troilus and Cressida are Trojans.
• Tubal is a wealthy Jew, a friend to Shylock, in The Merchant of Venice.
• Tullus Aufidius, leader of the Volscians, is the arch-enemy, and briefly the ally, of the title character in
  Coriolanus
  .
• A Tutor (fict) fails to save the life of his pupil, Rutland, in Henry VI, Part 3.
• Tybalt, cousin to Juliet, is a fiery-tempered character in Romeo and Juliet. He kills Mercutio, and is killed by Romeo.
• Sir James Tyrrell (hist) is employed to murder the princes in the tower in Richard III.

U

• Ulysses (myth) is one of the Greek leaders in Troilus and Cressida.
• Ursula is a maid in Much Ado About Nothing.
• Christopher Urswick (hist) is a minor character: a priest acting as messenger for Lord Stanley, in Richard III.

V

• Valentine:
  • Valentine is one of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. He falls in love with Silvia, becomes exiled, and leads a band of robbers.
  • Valentine is an attendant on Orsino in Twelfth Night.
  • Valentine, Caius and Sempronius are minor characters, kinsmen and supporters of Titus, in Titus Andronicus.
  • Valentine is Mercutio's brother in Romeo and Juliet. He is mentioned as a guest of Lord Capulet's party.
• Valeria is a friend of Volumnia or Virgilia in
  Coriolanus
  . She brings news of Coriolanus' exploits.
• Valerius is a Thebean, a follower of Creon, who brings news of a forthcoming battle to The Two Noble Kinsmen.
• Varrius:
  • Varrius, a friend of the Duke, is a non-speaking role (although he is addressed by name, and therefore falls just short of being a ghost character) in Measure for Measure.
  • Varrius is a follower of Pompey in Antony and Cleopatra.
• Varro:
  • Varro and Claudius are guards in Brutus' tent, in Julius Caesar. They do not see Caesar's ghost.
  • For Varro's Servants, in Timon of Athens, see servant.
• Sir Thomas Vaughan (
  hist) is executed, alongside Rivers and Grey, in Richard III
  .
• Vaux:
  • Sir Nicholas Vaux (hist) is a minor character in the scene leading to Buckingham's execution, in Henry VIII.
  • Vaux (hist) is a minor character of the Lancastrian party in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Sicinius Velutus and Junius Brutus, two of the tribunes of the people, are the title character's chief political enemies in
  Coriolanus
  , and prove more effective than his military foes.
• Duke of Venice:
  • The Duke of Venice tries the case between Shylock and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice.
  • The Duke of Venice hears Brabantio's complaint against Othello.
• Ventidius:
  • Ventidius (
    hist) is a follower of Antony in Antony and Cleopatra
    .
  • Ventidius is bailed by Timon in Timon of Athens, then attends Timon's first feast offering to repay the debt, which Timon refuses. Later, however, he refuses Timon's request for funds.
• Verges, accompanied by Dogberry, is a clownish officer of the watch in Much Ado About Nothing.
• Vernon:
  • Sir Richard Vernon is a follower of the rebel forces in Henry IV, Part 1.
  • Vernon (fict) is a supporter of Richard, Duke of York (1) in Henry VI, Part 1.
• Escalus, Prince of Verona tries to keep the peace between Montague and Capulet, in Romeo and Juliet.
• For Duke of Vienna see Vincentio in Measure for Measure.
• Vincentio:
  • Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, is a central character in Measure for Measure. Disguised as Friar Lodowick, he intrigues to achieve justice for Isabella and other virtuous characters.
  • Vincentio is the father of Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew.
  • See also The Pedant, who falsely claims to be Vincentio in The Taming of the Shrew.
• A vintner (who may be the husband of Mistress Quickly) appears briefly in Henry IV, Part 1.
• Viola is the central character of Twelfth Night. She disguises herself as a boy and calls herself “Cesario”, to serve on Orsino's staff. Viola falls in love with Orsino, but Orsino is in love with Olivia, and Olivia falls in love with Cesario (Viola).
• Coriolanus
  .
• Volsce/Volscian:
  • A Volsce (named Adrian) encounters the Roman, Ninacor, and hears the news that Coriolanus is banished from Rome in
    Coriolanus
    .
  • See the other part of a character's title where "Volsce" is used as an adjective (e.g. see "Lords" for "Volscian Lords").
• Voltemand and Cornelius are two ambassadors from Claudius to the Norwegian court, in Hamlet.
• Coriolanus
  .
• Volumnius (hist) is a friend and follower of Brutus in Julius Caesar. He refuses to assist Brutus' suicide.

W

Johann Heinrich Füssli

.

• A Waiting Woman exchanges bawdy banter with Emilia, in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
• For Wall see Tom Snout.
• Walter:
  • Sir Walter Blunt is a soldier and messenger to the king in Henry IV, Part 1. He is killed by Douglas while wearing the king's armour.
  • Sir Walter Herbert is a follower of Richmond in Richard III.
  • Walter Whitmore (fict) kills Suffolk in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Two Warders of the Tower of London bar Gloucester's entrance: leading to a fight between Gloucester's men and Winchester's men, in Henry VI, Part 1.
• Wart is pressed into military service by Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2.
• Earl of Warwick:
  • The Earl of Warwick (1) (
    hist) is a supporter of King Henry in Henry IV, Part 2
    .
  • The Earl of Warwick (2) (hist) is an important player in the Wars of the Roses, firstly for the Yorkist party, and then for the Lancastrians. He appears in Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 2, and Henry VI, Part 3.
• Watch/Watchmen:
  • The Watch of the city of Rouen allows Joan and her soldiers, disguised, to enter the gates, in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • The Watch (two of whom are minor speaking roles), and a Sentry, witness the death of Enobarbus, in Antony and Cleopatra.
  • Three Watchmen guard King Edward IV's tent, in Henry VI, Part 3.
  • Several Watchmen, two of them speaking roles, serve under Dogberry and Verges, and apprehend Conrade and Borachio, in Much Ado About Nothing. Two of them are called Hugh Oatcake and George Seacoal.
  • Several Watchmen, three of them speaking roles, discover the carnage at Capulet's tomb, at the end of Romeo and Juliet.
  • Several Volscian Watchmen, two of them speaking roles, try to prevent Menenius meeting
    Coriolanus
    .
• Smith the Weaver (fict) is a follower of Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2.
• For
  Weird Sisters
  , see Witches.
• The Abbott of Westminster (fict) supports Richard and the Bishop of Carlisle in Richard II.
• Earl of Westmoreland:
  • The Earl of Westmoreland (1) (hist) is one of the leaders of the royal forces in Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.
  • The Earl of Westmoreland (2) (hist) fights for King Henry in Henry VI, Part 3.
• Walter Whitmore (fict) kills Suffolk in Henry VI, Part 2.
• Widow:
  • A Widow, mother to Diana, provides lodgings to Helena in All's Well That Ends Well.
  • A Widow marries Hortensio, and behaves shrewishly in the final act of The Taming of the Shrew.
• Wife:
  • For Wife of Macduff, see Lady Macduff.
  • For the Merry Wives of Windsor, see Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.
• Will is a drawer in Henry IV, Part 2.
• William:
  • The Duke of Suffolk (William de la Pole) (hist) is a manipulative character, loved by Queen Margaret, in Henry VI, Part 1 and Henry VI, Part 2.
  • Sir William Lucy (fict) is a soldier and messenger for the English in France in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • Sir William Stanley (
    hist), the historical brother of Lord Stanley from Richard III, is a minor character of the Yorkist faction in Henry VI, Part 3
    .
  • William is a foolish youth, a suitor to Audrey, in As You Like It.
  • William Page is a minor youthful comic character, the son of Master and Mistress Page, and the younger brother of Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
• Michael Williams (fict) (notably played by Michael Williams in Kenneth Branagh's film version) is a soldier who challenges the disguised Henry to a duel in Henry V.
• Willoughby (hist) is a supporter of Bolingbroke in Richard II.
• A Sheriff of Wiltshire (fict) denies the condemned Buckingham access to King Richard, in Richard III.
• Winchester:
  • The Bishop of Winchester (hist) (later "the Cardinal") is the chief enemy of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester in Henry VI, Part 1 and Henry VI, Part 2.
  • For The Bishop of Winchester in Henry VIII, see Gardiner.
• Three Witches initiate Macbeth's lust for the crown of Scotland in Macbeth.
• Cardinal Wolsey (hist) orchestrates the fall from grace of Buckingham and Katherine, but himself falls from grace and dies, in Henry VIII.
• For Woman (in The Two Noble Kinsmen) see Waiting Woman.
• Woodville:
  • Woodville (hist) is Lieutenant of the Tower of London in Henry VI, Part 1.
  • See also Queen Elizabeth, Rivers, Dorset and Grey, all of whom are of the Woodville clan.
• A Wooer of the Jailer's Daughter stays loyal to her throughout her madness, pretends to be Palamon in her presence, and after her cure, marries her, in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
• The Earl of Worcester (hist) is the brother of the Earl of Northumberland, and a leader of the rebel forces, in Henry IV, Part 1.

Y

• Yorick: Yorick
• York:
  • Archbishop of York:
    • The Archbishop of York (1) (hist) is one of the rebel leaders in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2.
    • The Archbishop of York (2) (hist) assists Queen Elizabeth and the little Duke of York to obtain sanctuary in Richard III.
  • Duchess of York:
    • The Duchess of York (1) (unnamed) character in Richard II, a composite of Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York, died 1392, the mother of Aumerle, and Joan Holland, who bore no children
    • The Duchess of York (2) (
      hist) is the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1) in Henry VI, Part 3. She outlives him to mourn the death of two of their sons in Richard III
      .
  • Duke of York:
    • The Duke of York (1) (hist) is the uncle of both Richard and Bolingbroke, and the father of Aumerle, in Richard II.
    • The Duke of York (2) (
      hist) is a minor character, the leader of the "v award" in Henry V
      . (Historically, this character is the same person as Aumerle.)
    • Richard, Duke of York (1) (
      hist) is a central character in Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 2, and Henry VI, Part 3
      . He is the Yorkist claimant to the throne of England, in opposition to Henry VI, and he is eventually killed on the orders of Queen Margaret.
    • Richard, Duke of York (2) (
      princes in the tower, murdered on the orders of Richard in Richard III
      .
  • The Mayor of York (hist) reluctantly supports the Yorkists in Henry VI, Part 3.
  • Prince Edward of York later King Edward V (
    princes in the tower in Richard III
    .
  • See also Edmund Mortimer, Aumerle, Queen Elizabeth and Lady Anne, all of whom are "of the House of York" directly or through marriage.
• Young:
  • Young Cato is a soldier of Brutus' and Cassius' party, in Julius Caesar.
  • Young Lucius, son of Lucius in Titus Andronicus, and usually cast as a child, plays a part in exposing his aunt's rapists.
  • Young Seyward is the son of the Earl of Northumberland in Macbeth.
  • For Young Martius in
    Coriolanus
    , see Boy.
  • See also Clifford.

See also

• List of Shakespearean characters (A–K)

References

Anne Barton (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "The Tempest" Edward Burns (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry VI Part 1" Andrew S. Cairncross (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King Henry VI Part 3" John D. Cox and Eric Rasmussen (eds.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry VI Part 3" T. W. Craik (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry V" P. H. Davison (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Henry IV Part One" P. H. Davison (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Henry IV Part Two" Philip Edwards (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Pericles" Bertrand Evans (ed.) The Signet Classic "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" Barbara Everett (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "All's Well That Ends Well" R. A. Foakes (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Much Ado About Nothing" R. A. Foakes (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Troilus and Cressida" Charles R. Forker (ed.) The Adren Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Richard II" Antony Hammond (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King Richard III" Robert B. Heilman (ed.) The Signet Classic "The Taming of the Shrew" G.R. Hibbard (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Coriolanus" G. R. Hibbard (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Timon of Athens" E. A. J. Honigman (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Richard III" E. A. J. Honigman (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King John" A. R. Humphreys (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King Henry IV Part 1" A. R. Humphreys (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King Henry IV Part 2" G. K. Hunter (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Macbeth" G. K. Hunter (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "King Lear"

David Scott Kastan (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry IV Part 1" John Kerrigan (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Love's Labour's Lost" Ronald Knowles (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry VI Part II" M. M. Mahood (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Twelfth Night" Sonia Massai (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Titus Andronicus" Gordon McMullan (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "King Henry VIII" Giorgio Melchiori (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "The Merry Wives of Windsor" E. Moelwyn Merchant (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "The Merchant of Venice" Kenneth Muir (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Othello" Kenneth Muir (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "Macbeth" J. M. Nosworthy (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Measure for Measure" H. J. Oliver (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "As You Like It" John Pitcher (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "Cymbeline" Lois Potter (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "The Two Noble Kinsmen" Norman Sanders (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Julius Caesar" Ernest Schanzer (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "The Winter's Tale" T. J. B. Spencer (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet" T. J. B. Spencer (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "Hamlet" Peter Ure (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (2nd series) "King Richard II" Virginia Mason Vaughan and Alden T. Vaughan (eds.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd series) "The Tempest" Stanley Wells (ed.) Penguin Shakespeare "The Comedy of Errors" Stanley Wells (ed.) New Penguin Shakespeare "A Midsummer Night's Dream" John Wilders (ed.) The Arden Shakespeare (3rd Series) "Antony and Cleopatra"

External links

• Open Source Shakespeare character list: counting the number of lines for each character.