Characters of Shakespeare's Best Plays

Click Here for Plot Summaries of Shakespeare's Best Plays
Click Here for Reviews of Shakespeare's Best Plays

A Midsummer Night's Dream | The Merchant of Venice | The Tragedy of Richard II | Hamlet, Prince of Denmark | Othello | King Lear | The First Part of King Henry IV | The Tragedy of Julius Caesar | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Romeo and Juliet

A Midsummer Night's Dream, probably about 1595

Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Egeus, father of Hermia
Hermia, daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander
Lysander, loved by Hermia
Demetrius, suitor to Hermia
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Oberon, King of Fairies
Titania, Queen of Fairies
Robin goodfellow, a puck
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, Mustardseed, Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Snug, Robin Starveling, Attendant lords and fairies
back to top

The Merchant of Venice, 1596 or 1597

Antonio, a merchant of Venice
Bassanio, his friend and Portia's suitor
Leonardo, Bassanio's servant
Lorenzo and Garziano - friends of Antonio and Bassanio
Salerio and Solanio - gossipers, and friends of Antonio
Shylock, a Jew
Jessica, his daughter
Launcelot, a clown, servant to Shylock and then Bassanio
Gobbo, his father
Portia, an heiress
Nerissa, her waiting-gentlewoman
Prince of Morocco and Prince of Aragon - Portia's Suitors
Balthasar, Stefano, Duke of Venice, Magnificoes of Venice, Tubal, Jailer, Attendants, Servants
back to top

The Tragedy of Richard II, 1595

King Richard II
The Queen, his wife
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Richard's uncle
Harry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, John of Gaunt's son, later King Henry IV
Duchess of Gloucester, widow of Gaunt's and York's brother
Duke of York
Duke of Aumerle, thier son
Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk
Green, Bagot, and Bushy - followers of King Richard
Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Harry Percy, his son
Lord Ross
Lord Willoughby
Earl of Salisbury
Bishop of Carlisle
Sir Stephen Scrope
Lord Berkeley
Lord Fitzwater, Duke of Surrey, Abbot of Westminister, Sir Piers Exton, Lord Marshal, Heralds, Captain of the Welsh army, Ladies attending the Queen, Gardener, Gardener's Men, Exton's Men, Keeper of the prison at Pomfret, Groom of King Richard's stable, L ords, soldiers, attendants
back to top

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 1600 or 1601

Ghost of Hamlet, the late King of Denmark
King Claudius, his brother
Queen Gertrude of Denmark, widow of King Hamlet, now wife of Claudius
Prince Hamlet, son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude
Polonius, a lord
Laertes, son of Polonius
Ophelia, daughter of Polonius
Reynaldo, servant of Polonius
Horatio, guard and friend to Prince Hamlet
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, friends of Prince Hamlet
Franciso, Barnardo and Marcellus - soldiers
Valtemand, Cornelius, Osric, Gentlemen, Sailors, Gravedigger and Companion, Priest, Fortinbras(Prince of Norway), Captain, Ambassadors, Players, Lords, messengers, Attendants, Guards, Soldiers, followers of Laertes
back to top

Othello, 1603

Othello, the Moor of Venice
Desdemona, his wife
Michael Cassio, his leiutenant
Bianca, a courtesan, in love with Cassio
Iago, the Moor's ensign
Emilia, Iago's wife
Roderigo
A Clown, The Duke of Venice, Brabanzio, Graziano, Lodovico, Senators, Montano, Herald, Messenger, Attendants, Officers, Sailors, Gentlemen, Musicians
back to top

King Lear, 1594

Lear, King of Britain
Goneril, Lear's eldest daughter
Duke of Albany, her husband
Regan, Lear's second daughter
Duke of Cornwall, her husband
Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter
King of France and Duke of Burgandy - suitors to Cordelia
Earl of Kent, late disguised as Caius
Earl of Gloucester
Edgar, his eldest son, later disguised as Tom o'Bedlam
Edmund, bastard son of Gloucester
Lear's Fool
Oswald, Goneril's steward
Old Man, Curan, Servants, Doctor, Captains, Herald, Knight, messanger, Gentlemen, Soldiers, Followers, Trumpeters
back to top

The First Part of King Henry IV, 1597

King Henry IV
Prince Harry, Prince of Wales, referred to as Hal
Earl of Westmorland
Sir Walter Blunt
Earl of Worcester
Percy, Earl of Northumberland, his brother
Henry Percy, his son, known as Hotspur
Kate, Lady Percy, Hotspur's wife
Lord Edmund Mortimer, Lady Percy's brother
Scrope, Archbishop of York
Sir Richard Vernon
Edward (Ned) Poins
Sir Michael, Owain glyndwr, Sir John Oldcastle, russel, Harvey, Hostess of a tavern, Francis, Vintner, Gadhsill, Carriers, Chamberlain, Ostler, Travellers, Sheriff, Messengers, Servant, Lords, soldiers
back to top

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, probably 1599

Julius Caesar
Calpurnia, his wife
Marcus Brutus, a noble Roman, opposed to Caesar
Portia, his wife
Lucius, his servant
Caius Cassius, Casca, Trebonius, Decius Brutus, Metellus cimber, Cinna and Caius Ligarius - against Caesar
Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar, Lepidus - ruled Rome after Caesar's death
Flavius and Murellus
Cicero, Publius and Popillius Laena - senators
Ghost of Caesar
Soothsayer
Artemidorus, cinna the Poet, Pindarus, titinius, Lucillius, Messala, Varrus, Claudio, Young Cato, Strato, volumnius, Flavius, Dardinius, Clitus, Poet, Cobbler, Carpenter, Plebeians, Messenger, Servants, Solders, Attendants
back to top

Macbeth, 1606

King Duncan, of Scotland
Malcolm and Donalbain - his sons
Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, later Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland
Seyton, servant of Macbeth
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's wife
Banquo, a Scottish thane
Macduff, Thane of Fife
Lady Macduff, his wife
Six Witches
Lennox, Ross, Angus, Caithness and Menteith - Scottish Thanes
Porter, Captain, Murderers, Doctors, Waiting-Gentlewoman, Fleance, Macduff's Son, Siward, Young Siward, Hecate, Apparitions, Spirits, Old Man, Messenger, Servants, kings, Lords, Thanes, Attendants, Soldiers, Drummers
back to top

Romeo and Juliet, between 1591 and 1596

Escales, Prince of Verona
Montague, Capulet - heads of warring households
Romeo, son to Montague
Juliet, daughter to Capulet
Mercutio, Benvolio - friends to Romeo
Tybalt, Lady Capulet's nephew
Friar Lawrence
Lady Montague
Lady Capulet
Nurse, belonging to Juliet
Paris, suitor to Juliet
Sampson, Gregory - servants to Capulet
Abraham, Balthasar - Servants to Montague, Romeo
Chorus, Cousin Capulet, Petruchio, Friar John, Clown, Peter, Page, Apothecary, Musicians, Servingmen, Attendants, Gentlemen, Gentlewomen, Maskers, Officers, Citizens, Torch-Bearers
back to top
This page is updated periodically. To send comments or questions, click here