Characters appearing in the plays of William Shakespeare whose names begin with the letters L to Z include the following.
Characters who exist outside Shakespeare are marked "(hist)" where they are historical, and "(myth)" where they are mythical. Where that annotation is a link (e.g. (hist)), it is a link to the page for the historical or mythical figure. The annotation "(fict)" is only used in entries for the English history plays, and indicates a character who is fictional.
Lady Faulconbridge (hist) confesses to her son, the Bastard, that Richard the Lionheart, and not her husband, was his true father, in King John.
ForLady Greysee Queen Elizabeth.
Lady Macbeth (hist), wife to the protagonist in Macbeth, is a central character who conspires with her husband to murder Duncan. She later goes mad and dies, possibly through suicide.
See also Bolingbroke (Henry IV), Henry V, Henry VI, Queen Margaret, Prince Edward and Lady Anne, all of whom are either "Duke of Lancaster" or "of the House of Lancaster".
Titus Lartius and Cominius are leaders of the Roman forces against the Volscians in Coriolanus.
Launce is a clownish servant of Proteus, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. He and his dog, Crab, have a tendency to steal the show.
Launcelot Gobbo is a clown in The Merchant of Venice, a servant to Shylock, and later to Lorenzo.
Friar Laurence is confessor and confidant to Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He instigates the unsuccessful plot involving the potion drunk by Juliet.
Monsieur LeFer is a French soldier. Pistol hopes to ransom him in Henry V.
Legate:
A Legate confers Winchester's Cardinalship (apparently obtained through bribery) in Henry VI, Part 1.
See also Pandulph.
Popilius Lena, a senator, briefly frightens the conspirators into a belief that their plot may have been discovered, with his line "I wish your enterprise today might thrive", in Julius Caesar.
Posthumus Leonatus (usually just "Posthumus") is the exiled husband of Imogen, in Cymbeline. Persuaded she has been unfaithful, he orders Pisanio to kill her.
Sicilius Leonatus, father of Posthumus in Cymbeline, appears as a ghost, and pleads to Jupiter to resolve Posthumus' troubles.
The mother of Posthumus and two brothers of Posthumus appear as ghosts in Cymbeline, and plead to Jupiter to resolve Posthumus' troubles.
Leonine is ordered to kill Marina, by Dionyza, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre. She is captured by pirates before he can do so.
Leontes is the king of Sicilia in The Winter's Tale. He wrongly suspects his wife, Hermione, of infidelity.
A Lord who fled from the battle between the Romans and the Britons meets Posthumus, in the battle's aftermath, in Cymbeline.
Two Lords, together with Amiens, report Jaques' encounter with the deer in As You Like It.
Two Lords are followers of Duke Frederick in As You Like It.
Two Lords attend on the bragging Cloten, in Cymbeline.
Two Lords, the brothers Dumaine, attend the King of France before departing to the wars in All's Well That Ends Well, and play an important part in the mock-interrogation of Parolles.
Three Lords of Tyre lead a revolt (of sorts) in Pericles, Prince of Tyre: insisting that they will make Helicanus their ruler if Pericles does not return to Tyre within one year.
Three Lords of Pentapolis comment on Pericles' unimpressive appearance prior to the tournament, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
Three Lords are among the flatterers, and false friends, of Timon in Timon of Athens.
Four Lords in All's Well That Ends Well (two of whom may be the brothers Dumaine described as "Two Lords", above) attend the King of France after he is cured, and are considered as potential husbands for Helena.
A number of Volscian Lords, three of them speaking roles, appear in the concluding scene of Coriolanus, and witness Coriolanus' death.
The Lord Chamberlain, in Henry VIII (hist & hist) is a conflation of two historical Lords Chamberlain, one of them Lord Sandys, who is also a character in the play.
The Lord Chancellor (hist) – historically Sir Thomas More, although not identified as such in the play – is among the Privy Counsellors who accuse Cranmer in Henry VIII.
Luciana in The Comedy of Errors is shocked to be importuned by her brother-in-law's twin, who she believes to be her sister's husband.
For Lucianus, see Third Player.
Lucilius:
Lucilius is a servant of Timon in Timon of Athens. He loves the daughter of the Old Athenian, and Titus provides him with a fortune, to make him her equal.
Lucilius is a soldier of Brutus' and Cassius' party in Julius Caesar. He pretends to be Brutus during the battle at Philippi.
Lucio, a friend of Claudio, frequently slanders the duke in Measure for Measure, and is eventually forced to marry Kate Keepdown.
Lucius:
Caius Lucius is the Roman ambassador in Cymbeline, and the leader of the Roman forces.
Lucius, a boy, is a servant attending on Brutus, in Julius Caesar.
Lucius is a lord in Timon of Athens, who flatters Titus but proves a false friend.
Lucius is the son of Titus in Titus Andronicus. He ends the play as Emperor of Rome, following the death of most major characters.
Young Lucius, son of Luicus in Titus Andronicus, and usually cast as a child, plays a part in exposing his aunt's rapists.
Lucullus is a lord in Timon of Athens, who flatters Titus but proves a false friend.
For Lucullus' Servant, see servant
Sir William Lucy (fict) is a soldier and messenger for the English in France in Henry VI, Part 1.
Lychorida is Thaisa's nurse, then (after Thaisa's supposed death in childbirth) Marina's nurse, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
Lysander loves Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. For a period in the middle of the play, under the influence of love in idleness, he rejects her and loves Helena.
Lysimachus is the governor of Mytilene, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre. He is converted from debauchery by Marina, and eventually reunites her with her father, Pericles.
Macbeth (hist) is the central character in Macbeth. Influenced by the prophecies of three witches, he murders Duncan to take his place as king of Scotland.
Lady Macbeth (hist), wife to Macbeth, is a central character who conspires with her husband to murder Duncan. She later goes mad and dies, possibly through suicide.
Macduff:
Macduff is the Thane of Fife in Macbeth. Not being "born of woman", he fights on Malcolm's side at the end of the play, and kills Macbeth.
Malvolio is steward to, and secretly in love with, Olivia in Twelfth Night. He is gulled by Maria, Sir Toby Belch, Feste, Fabian and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and is imprisoned as a madman.
Mamillius is the young son of Leontes and Hermione whose death is reported in the trial scene of The Winter's Tale.
Marcus Brutus (hist) (usually just Brutus) is a central character of Julius Caesar, who conspires against Caesar's life and stabs him.
See also Mark, especially in the context of the Roman plays, where the two are often interchangeable. Mark Antony, for example, was historically "Marcus Antonius".
Margarelon is a bastard son of Priam who spares the life of Thersites in Troilus and Cressida.
Margaret:
Margaret is a maid, and an unknowing accomplice in the plot against Hero, in Much Ado About Nothing.
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.
Maria:
Maria is a maid to Olivia, and the instigator of the plot against Malvolio, in Twelfth Night.
Maria is a lady attending on the Princess of France in Love's Labour's Lost. She becomes romantically entangled with Longaville.
Marina is the virtuous daughter of the hero in Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Sold into a brothel, she converts her customers from their lives of debauchery.
Mariners:
A number of mariners are supernumerary characters in The Tempest.
See also Sailors.
Mark:
Mark Antony (hist) (Often just Antony, and sometimes Marcus Antonius) turns the mob against Caesar's killers and becomes a Triumvir in Julius Caesar. His romance with Cleopatra drives the action of Antony and Cleopatra.
See also Marcus
Marquess:
The Marquess of Montague (hist) is a follower of Warwick (his brother) in Henry VI, Part 3.
ForMarquess of Suffolksee Duke of Suffolk. William De La Pole held both titles during the period dramatised by Shakespeare.
Sir Oliver Martext is a foolish priest in As You Like It.
Martius:
Caius Martius Coriolanus (hist) is the central character of Coriolanus, who earns the title "Coriolanus" in recognition of his skill at smiting Volscians in Coriolai.
Martius and Quintus, two sons of the title character in 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.
Marullus and Flavius are tribunes of the people, dismayed by the enthusiasm of the commoners for the return of Caesar, in the opening scene of Julius Caesar.
Master Ford is a central character in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He suspects his wife of infidelity with Sir John Falstaff. He tests Falstaff in disguise, calling himself Master Brook.
The Master Gunner of Orleans leaves his boy in charge of the artillery, in Henry VI, Part 1.
Master Page is the husband of Mistress Page and the father of Anne and William in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He plans to have Anne married to Slender.
A messenger (fict) gets a dressing-down from Katherine and Griffith for his abrupt manner, in Henry VIII.
A messenger to the Roman leaders brings news of the preparations for battle against the Volsces, in Coriolanus.
Two messengers to Claudius in Hamlet (or possibly one messenger appearing twice) bring news of Laertes' rebellious approach, and Hamlet's letter delivered by the sailors.
Two messengers appear in The Two Noble Kinsmen. One has a lengthy speech describing Arcite's first knight.
Two messengers in Cymbeline (or possibly one messenger appearing twice) bring news of the Roman Ambassador's approach, and the disappearance of Imogen.
Three messengers bring bad news to the English lords at Henry V's funeral, in Henry VI, Part 1.
Three messengers, two to Albany and the other to Cordelia, appear in King Lear.
Three messengers are minor characters in Timon of Athens: one negotiates Ventidius' bail, another announces Alcibiades arrival at Timon's first feast with companions, the third announces Alcibiades approach towards Athens with soldiers.
Three messengers, two English bringing messages to Talbot and York, and one French bringing a message to Talbot, appear in Henry VI, Part 1.
Four messengers bring (mostly) bad news to Richard, in Richard III.
Several messengers appear in Much Ado About Nothing: one of them is an important figure in the opening scene.
A messenger brings "News, my good lord, from Rome" in the opening scene. Antony refuses to hear him.
Three messengers bring news to Antony of various military defeats, and of Fulvia's death.
Two messengers bring news to Caesar of Pompey's (and his allies') naval preparations.
One messenger is a mid-sized role: the unfortunate carrier of the message to Cleopatra that Antony has married Octavia, and who later reports (unflatteringly) on Octavia's looks and bearing.
A messenger brings Antony news that Caesar has taken Toryne.
A messenger summons Canidius to Antony.
A messenger informs Caesar that Antony is come into the field.
Sir Nathaniel is a parson in Love's Labour's Lost. He is a comic character, and a friend of Holofernes. He appears as Alexander the Conqueror in the pageant of the Nine Worthies.
The King of Navarre (Ferdinand, loosely based on Henry III) and his three noble companions, Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville, vow to study and fast for three years, at the outset of Love's Labour's Lost.
Nick Bottom is a weaver, one of the mechanicals, in A Midsummer Night's Dream. While rehearsing a play, Puck changes Bottom's head for an ass's head. Titania falls in love with him. He plays Pyramus in Pyramus and Thisbe.
Sir Nicholas Vaux (hist) is a minor character in the scene leading to Buckingham's execution, in Henry VIII.
The Duke of Norfolk (hist & hist) is an associate of Buckingham in Henry VIII.
Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk (hist) is Bolingbroke's enemy, exiled by Richard, in Richard II.
Northumberland:
The Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy, (hist) is an important character in Richard II, where he is Bolingbroke's chief ally, and in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, in which he leads the rebellion against his former ally, who is now king.
The Earl of Northumberland (hist) fights for the Lancastrians in Henry VI, Part 3.
Lady Northumberland (hist) is the Earl of Northumberland's wife, who dissuades him from joining the rebels at Gaultree Forest in Henry IV, Part 2.
Octavia (hist), sister of Octavius, marries Mark Antony when he is widowed in Antony and Cleopatra. Their marriage causes great distress to Antony's lover, Cleopatra.
Two officers in Orsino's service arrest Antonio in Twelfth Night.
Two officers discuss Coriolanus' prospects of becoming consul in Coriolanus.
Two officers, of whom only Second Officer is a speaking role, appear in the last act of King Lear.
Several officers support the Mayor of London in Henry VI, Part 1. One of them reads a proclamation.
Old:
An Old Athenian objects to his daughter's involvement with Lucilius, until Timon offers to endow Lucilius with money to make him her equal, in Timon of Athens.
Old Capulet is a minor character – a kinsman of Capulet – in the party scene of Romeo and Juliet.
Old Clifford (hist), father of Clifford, is a Lancastrian leader in Henry VI, Part 2.
Old Gobbo, the blind old father of Launcelot Gobbo, is a clown in The Merchant of Venice.
Old Hamlet (myth) is the father of the title character in Hamlet. His ghost appears to exhort Hamlet to revenge Old Hamlet's murder by Claudius.
An Old Lady (fict) is a rather worldly friend of Anne Bullen, in Henry VIII.
An Old Man is Gloucester's tenant, who helps with his escape, in King Lear.
An Old Man reports the supernatural happenings on the night of Duncan's murder to Ross, in Macbeth.
Old Shepherd is the kindly father of the Clown in The Winter's Tale, who adopts the abandoned Perdita as his daughter.
Oliver:
Oliver begins As You Like It as a villain: the cruel older brother to Orlando. He later repents, and marries Celia.
Sir Oliver Martext is a foolish priest in As You Like It.
Olivia is a countess, loved by Orsino but in love with Cesario (the male persona of Viola) in Twelfth Night.
One is the speech prefix of a very minor character who speaks to the Porter from offstage, in Henry VIII.
Ophelia, in Hamlet, is a former lover of Hamlet, who is rejected by him, and who goes mad following her father's death at Hamlet's hands. She drowns, possibly a suicide.
The Duke of Orleans (hist) fights on the French side in Henry V.
The Master Gunner of Orleans leaves his boy in charge of the artillery, in Henry VI, Part 1.
Orsino is the Duke of Illyria, loved by Viola but in love with Olivia, in Twelfth Night.
Osric is a courtier, treated with contempt by Hamlet in Hamlet.
Oswald is a servant of Gonerill, most noted for getting into fights and losing them, in King Lear.
Othello is the title character of Othello. A Moorish general in the Venetian army, he is persuaded by Iago that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with Michael Cassio.
Some Outlaws, three of which are speaking roles, initially try to rob Valentine, but decide to invite him to be their leader, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Two pages encounter Touchstone, and sing It Was A Lover And His Lass, in As You Like It.
Anne Page is the daughter of Master and Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She loves Fenton, but her father wishes her to marry Slender and her mother wishes her to marry Caius.
Master Page is the husband of Mistress Page and the father of Anne and William in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He plans to have Anne married to Slender.
Mistress Page, wife of Master Page, is a title character in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She conspires with Mistress Ford to punish Falstaff's lechery. She plans to have Anne married to Doctor Caius.
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.
See also The Boy, who is sometimes "the page" or "Falstaff's page".
A Painter and a Poet obtain the patronage of Timon in Timon of Athens. They return to him, in the woods, having heard rumours that he has found gold.
Palamon and Arcite are the title characters of The Two Noble Kinsmen. Their friendship endures even though they engage in a mortal quarrel for the love of Emilia.
The Governor of Paris has an oath of allegiance administered to him by Gloucester (but has no lines of his own) in Henry VI, Part 1.
Paris (myth) has captured Helen – Menelaus' wife – and they live together as lovers in Troy. This is the cause of the lengthy wars fought in Troilus and Cressida.
The Pedant disguises himself as Vincentio (Lucentio's father) in The Taming of the Shrew, to act as father to Tranio, who has disguised himself as Lucentio.
The Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy, (hist) is an important character in Richard II, where he is Bolingbroke's chief ally, and in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, in which he leads the rebellion against his former ally, who is now king.
Hotspur or Harry Percy (hist), brave and chivalrous but hot-headed and sometimes comical, is an important foil to Hal, and leader of the rebel forces, in Henry IV, Part 1.
Perdita is the infant daughter of Leontes, abandoned in Bohemia, in The Winter's Tale. She grows up to marry Florizel and is reconciled to her father.
Pericles is the central character of Pericles, Prince of Tyre. In an unfortunate series of adventures, he loses his wife and his daughter, but is eventually reunited with them.
Peter:
Friar Peter assists Isabella and Mariana in the final act of Measure for Measure.
Petruchio (Kevin Black) in his wedding outfit, in a Carmel Shakespeare Festival production at the outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel, California, October 2003
Polixines is the King of Bohemia in The Winter's Tale. Leontes wrongly believes that Polixines and Hermione are having an affair.
Polonius is a chief adviser in the court of King Claudius in Hamlet, and is the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He is killed by Hamlet, who stabs him through an arras while he is eavesdropping on a conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude.
Polydore (real name Guiderius) is the true heir in Cymbeline, stolen away in infancy by Morgan, and brought up as Morgan's child.
Peter of Pomfret is a prophet in King John. John orders his hanging upon hearing he has predicted that John will yield up his crown.
See also Costard, who plays Pompey in the masque of the Nine Worthies.
ForPoor Tomsee Edgar.
Popilius Lena, a senator, briefly frightens the conspirators into a belief that their plot may have been discovered, with his line "I wish your enterprise today might thrive", in Julius Caesar.
Porter:
A Porter to the Countess of Auvergne locks the doors, believing that he has thereby made Talbot prisoner, in Henry VI, Part 1.
The banter of a Porter and a Porter's Man introduces the finale – Elizabeth's christening – in Henry VIII.
Portia:
Portia is the central female character in The Merchant of Venice. She disguises herself as a lawyer in an attempt to thwart Shylock's attempt on Antonio's life.
Posthumus Leonatus (usually just "Posthumus") is the exiled husband of Imogen, in Cymbeline. Persuaded she has been unfaithful, he orders Pisanio to kill her.
A Priest converses briefly with Lord Hastings in Richard III.
A Priest presides over Ophelia's burial in Hamlet.
A Priest solemnises the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian inTwelfth Night.Edward the Black Prince (David Mendolsohn) in the American Professional premiere of Edward III, staged by Pacific Repertory Theatre in August 2001.
Prince (title):
Escalus, Prince of Verona tries to keep the peace between Montague and Capulet, in Romeo and Juliet.
Prince Edward (hist) is the son of Henry VI, who joins his mother Queen Margaret as a leader of the Lancastrian forces in Henry VI, Part 3. He is killed by the three Yorks (Edward, George and Richard).
ForPrince of Walessee Hal, Prince Edward, Prince Edward of York.
Numerous characters are princes, either because they are rulers of principalities (for example Don Pedro and Pericles), or by descent from a king.
Princess:
The Princess of France (hist) leads a diplomatic mission to Navarre and becomes romantically entangled with the King, in Love's Labour's Lost.
Several characters are princesses in the sense of being descendants of kings, including Katherine in Henry V, Queen Margaret (until she becomes queen), Imogen, Perdita, Gonerill, Regan and Cordelia. Others are described as princesses by virtue of being descendants of ruling dukes, including Rosalind, Celia, Silvia and Miranda. Others are princesses by descent from a ruling prince, for example Marina.
Proculeius (hist) is a follower of Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra. It appears Antony has told Cleopatra to "trust him".
Prologue:
Vince Cardinale as "Puck" from the Carmel Shakespeare Festival production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, September 2000
A Prologue and an Epilogue (possibly the same player) appear in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
A Prologue and an Epilogue (possibly the same player) appear in Henry VIII.
Prospero is the central character of The Tempest, the wronged Duke of Milan, set adrift with his daughter Miranda, twelve years before the play begins. He has become a sorcerer and is lord of the enchanted island.
Proteus is one of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Originally in love with Julia, he proves unfaithful: coveting Silvia and eventually attempting to rape her.
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 (hist) is the mother of John in King John. She takes a liking to Philip the Bastard, and recruits him to John's court.
Queen Elizabeth (hist) is a suitor to, and then queen to, Edward IV in Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III. She is a major character in the later play, and a foil to Richard.
The Queen of France (hist) appears in the last act of Henry V.
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
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.
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.
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.
Rutland (hist) is the youngest son of Richard Duke of York (1), killed in battle while still a boy, by Clifford, in Henry VI, Part 3. (Historically Rutland was not the youngest of the four York brothers depicted in the plays. Shakespeare made him so using 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.
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 (hist) delivers bad news to Constance, in 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Stephano is a drunken butler in The Tempest. He conspires with Caliban and Trinculo to kill Prospero and become king of the island.
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 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.
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.
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.).
ForThisbesee 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.
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.
Christopher Urswick (hist) is a minor character: a priest acting as messenger for Lord Stanley, in Richard III.
V
"Venturia [Shakespeare's Volumnia] at the Feet of Coriolanus" by Gaspare Landi.
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.
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 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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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
The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878.
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.
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