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Bolingbroke, Henry (Henry IV) Heroic character in several Shakespeare "English History" plays. In King Richard II, he overthrows Richard II and becomes King Henry IV. His subsequent reign is the subject of Henry IV, parts I and II.

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Caesar, Julius (100-44 BC) Roman general who conquered Gaul (what is now France) and later Rome itself. His decision to initiate the Roman civil war by sending his army across the Rubicon river resulted in the phrase "crossing the Rubicon," which means making an irrevocable choice. After conquering Rome, Caesar was made dictator for life, which inspired Cassius, Brutus and others to assassinate him in March of 44 BC. Hence the phrase, "Beware the Ides of March." The two most famous plays about Caesar are Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. Shakespeare portrays Caesar as a naive, overconfident despot, so caught up in his own flattery that he is unable to believe an assassination plot is brewing against him. When he is murdered, he realizes even his friend Brutus has betrayed him and utters the famous line, "Et Tu, Brute?" (Latin for "And you, Brutus?"). His loyal protege Mark Antony avenges his death. Shaw's characterization of Caesar is lighter and wittier, as befitting a Shavian comedy of ideas. Cleopatra (69-30 BC) Egyptian queen who became fatally entangled with the politics of the Roman empire. She was Julius Caesar's mistress and later married Mark Antony. Her marriage to Antony, which helped Rome conquer Egypt and ended in the couple's double suicide, was the subject of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Her relationship with Julius Caesar inspired George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. Sardou also wrote a play about her for Sarah Bernhardt title Cleopatre. Other documents about Cleopatra: Caesar and Cleopatra, by Shaw, George Bernard Plutarch/Shakespeare Comparison Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655). French writer and one-time army officer whose fantasy plays and prose often satirized society. He would probably be forgotten today were it not for Edmund Rostand's 1895 play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand turned him into a romantic figure, a man with an unsightly nose who wins over the woman he loves with his wit and chivalry.

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Don Juan Rake who romanced many women and wound up in Hell for it. He appears in The Rake of Seville (1630), by Tirso de Molina, Moliere's Don Juan (1665), Gluck's ballet Don Juan (1761), Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1787), Byron's poem Don Juan (1818), Richard Strauss's symphonic poem Don Juan (1889), and George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman (1903), which showcases him in Hell. Other documents about Don Juan: Man and Superman, by Shaw, George Bernard

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Electra Daughter of Agamemnon, she assisted Orestes in avenging their father's murder at the hands of their mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Electra was the subject of plays by Sophocles, Euripides, Hofmannsthal and Eugene O'Neill. Other documents about Electra: Agamemnon, by Aeschylus Libation Bearers (Choephoroi), by Aeschylus Furies (Eumenides), by Aeschylus Electra, by Euripides Electra, by Sophocles Agamemnon, by Seneca ELAC Guide to Ancient Greek Theatre

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Hal, Prince (Henry V) Major character in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One and the title character in Henry V. The son of Henry IV (see Bolingbroke, Henry), Hal is a rebellious young man enjoying life with his rascally pals Falstaff and Poins. His son's unroyal behavior distresses his father, the king, who would prefer he be preparing for the throne. In Henry V, Hal is forced to leave behind his youth and his friends Falstaff and Poins, to assume the throne. Not to be confused with the 20th-century theatre director Harold (Hal) Prince. Hamlet Medieval Danish prince, real name Amleth, who according to legend murdered his despotic uncle and feigned insanity to get away with it. His story was recounted by many historians before English playwright Thomas Kyd wrote a now-lost play about him in the late 1500s. William Shakespeare's Hamlet followed in 1600, possibly based on Kyd's play. Shakespeare drew a portrait of a moody, thoughtful man debating whether to avenge his father's death at the hands of his mother and her lover (see Orestes for a similar story), at the same time wrestling with existential questions of thought and action, justice and revenge, life and death. Hamlet is most famous for his "To be or not to be" speech, but has many memorable moments, including his "All the world's a stage..." and "Alas, poor Yorick" speeches. The first performance of the play took place at London's Globe Theatre. Richard Burbage, England's top actor, played Hamlet, and Shakespeare played the ghost of his father. Down through the centuries many of the world's best actors have taken shots at playing Hamlet. Notable players include Edmund Kean, Sarah Bernhardt, Laurence Olivier. There have been many film versions, the most notable being Laurence Olivier's in 1945. Fortunately, Hollywood never made a gangster film called Joe Hamlet. "Alas, Poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio..." - Sarah Bernhardt (1898) Other documents about Hamlet: Falcon Educational Link and Shakespeare Gielgud, John, photo Here Lieth a Pitious Shakespeare Page

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Macbeth (? - 1057). Scottish king. A tribal chief from the province of Moray, MacBeth ascended to the throne after killing King Duncan in battle in 1040. Holinshed's Chronicles, written in the mid-1500s, includes an account of MacBeth. Shakespeare's tragedy, MacBeth, took some dramatic license, making MacBeth a tragic figure who surreptitiously murders Duncan out of ambition, then is undone by guilt. Many films have been made of Shakespeare's play, notably Throne of Blood, Orson Welles' MacBeth, Roman Polanski's MacBeth. There was even Joe MacBeth, a Hollywood film set in the gangster underworld. Other documents about Macbeth: Macbeth - Macbeth Plugged Falcon Educational Link and Shakespeare Macbeth - Student Study Notes to Shakespeare's Macbeth

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Oedipus (Usually pronounced Ed'-uh-pus) Legendary king of Thebes who tried futilely to escape his destiny, which was to kill his father and marry his mother. His story has been told by many playwrights, most notably Sophocles in Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King, 430 BC) and Oedipus Coloneus (Oedipus at Colonus, 404 BC). In Sophocles' version, Oedipus was abandoned as a baby when a fortune teller warned Oedipus' father, King Laius, that his baby son would kill him. When he grew up, Oedipus killed a man while on his way to Thebes, a man he would later learn was his real father, Laius. Arriving in Thebes, Oedipus subdued the Sphinx, which was terrorizing the city, and was hailed as a hero. He assumed the throne, married Laius' widow, Jocasta, and vowed to find the killer of Laius. But he was informed by the "blind seer" Teiresias, "The murderer whom you seek is you." In the end, Oedipus learns that the man he killed was his father Laius and that Jocasta is his mother. In a metaphorical act, Oedipus blinds himself. He gets to be redeemed in Oedipus at Colonus (the last play written by Sophocles). His daughter, Antigone, is the subject of several plays. Oedipus was also the subject of a play by Seneca (no doubt enthralled by the eye-gouging scene), and inspired the psychological term Oedipus complex, meaning a son's abnormal affection for his mother. Other documents about Oedipus: Oedipus Trilogy, by Sophocles ELAC Guide to Ancient Greek Theatre Orestes Son of Agammemnon, he and his sister, Electra, avenged their father's murder at the hands of their mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Orestes was the subject of Aeschylus Oresteia trilogy, and appears in many other plays including Eugene O'Neill's modern retelling Mourning Becomes Electra. Other documents about Orestes: Agamemnon, by Aeschylus Libation Bearers (Choephoroi), by Aeschylus Furies (Eumenides), by Aeschylus Orestes, by Euripides Agamemnon, by Seneca ELAC Guide to Ancient Greek Theatre

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Pantalone Commedia Dell'Arte stock character who was often the butt of jokes and tricks. He was an old, bourgeois businessman who suffered from greed and lust. His appearance changed over the years but generally included tight-fitting trousers (hence his name), a red vest, a black cape and a money pouch on his belt. Other elements of his appearance included a cap, slippers, spectacles, a heavy moustache and a long beard that ended in two points. In the early years of Commedia Dell'Arte he also had a protruding phallus and wore a mask with a long Roman nose. He often became enamored with young women, who would flirt with him only to get his money. In other scenarios, he had a wife or daughter who would indulge in an affair behind his back. Percy, Harry Character in several Shakespeare "History of England" plays. Becomes Hotspur in Henry IV. Pierrot Character in Commedia Dell Arte, a French version of the original Italian character Pedrolino, Pierrot was a servant. with a childlike quality, usually wearing a white costume and dunce's cap. He is the forerunner of mime Marcel Marceau's Bip character. Pulcinella Commedia Dell 'Artee character, hunchbacked fool who became Punch in the punch and Judy show.

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Richard III (1452-1485) The third son in the Platagenet line in England. He was also Duke of York. He was a capable leader but was eventually defeated by the forces of Henry Tudor (Henry VII). He is the malevolent protagonist of Shakespeare's Richard III (1593-1594), famous for his first line, "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York..." and his last, "My kingdom for a horse!" Other documents about Richard III: Richard Himself Again, by Shaw, George Bernard Here Lieth a Pitious Shakespeare Page Romeo The young lover who romances Juliet, the daughter of the feuding Capulet family in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. He is an archetype of a young man in love. He has reappeared in many versions of the Romeo & Juliet story. Other documents about Romeo: Here Lieth a Pitious Shakespeare Page Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Comic characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern