Admire Literature

 Sir Peter Teazle  A benevolent and wealthy gentleman who has a young wife and a ward, Maria. He took Joseph and Charles Surface under his care after the death of their father, but they are now independent because of the inheritance received from their uncle. Sir Peter favors Joseph as a future husband for Maria and disapproves of Charles. • Lady Teazle   Sir Peter’s wife, she is much younger than he is; they have only been married for six months. She is a simple country girl who has been spoiled by her husband’s wealth, so that she squanders his fortune and the two quarrel constantly. • Maria   Sir Peter’s ward, she is beloved by both Joseph and Charles Surface, but loves only Charles. • Joseph Surface   An upright young man in appearance but in reality a hypocrite, he is in love with Maria, but, being rebuffed by her, seeks the help of Lady Sneerwell to obtain her affection. • Charles SuTeazle A dissipated rake with a good heart, he is beloved b...

 Lady Sneerwell, who in her youth was the target of slander, has set her life upon a course to reduce the reputations of other women to the level of her own. Aided by her intimate, Snake, she intrigues to involve the Teazles in scandal, to bring Joseph Surface’s true character to light, to wreck the love between Charles and Maria, and to gain Charles for herself along with Sir Oliver’s fortune. To her the world consists of nothing but scandal and scandalous intrigues, and she does her best to make her vision a reality. She is not successful, however, when she abuses Charles Surface to Sir Peter Teazle’s ward Maria, who refuses to listen to her. Instead, Maria trustingly confides in Lady Candour, whose defense of a reputation ensures its complete annihilation. Sometimes Sir Peter Teazle ponders the wisdom of his marriage to Lady Teazle, doubting the judgment of an old bachelor in marrying a young wife. Lady Teazle is a country-bred girl who is enjoying London life extravagantly and ...

Mark Antony A Roman triumvirate who, in his role of leader, is caught between concern for his people and his love for a woman. Antony shows various human traits as he tries to recapture his position of leadership against invading forces, as he accepts the friendship of his faithful officers, as he considers reconciliation with his wife and family, as he is duped by clever antagonistic individuals, and as he is shown incapable of adapting to these various relationships because of his devotion to Cleopatra, his mistress. Not strong enough or discerning enough to determine her motives, Antony dies a failure. Cleopatra The queen of Egypt and mistress of Antony. Steadfast in her love, as she convinces him before his death, she is deluded by some of her servants and shows the vulnerability of the great at the hands of the crafty. Cleopatra is victorious over her peers, in that she averts Antony’s return to his family. She takes her life to avoid the celebration of victory over Antony’s troop...

  Act One Serapion describes foreboding omens (of storms, whirlwinds, and the flooding of the Nile) of Egypt's impending doom. Alms, Cleopatra, eunuch, dismisses Serapion, claims and is more concemed with Cleopatra, relationship with Antony. He sees that Cleopatra dotes on Antony and worries that Antony will not continue seeing Cleopatra. Thus, Serapions hosts a festival to celebrate Antonys honor.  Ventidius, a Roman general, comes to aide Antony in Alexandria. Ventidius disagrees with Antony's relationship with Cleopatra and offers to give Antony troops if he leaves her. Although Antony is insulted by Ventidius's opinions regarding Cleopatra (and refuses to hear anything negative about her), Antony agrees.  Act Two   Cleopatra mourns about her situation without Antony. Charmlon, Cleopatra, lady in waiting, attempts to set up a meeting between Cleopatra and Antony, but she is deemed unsuccessful. Cleopatra thus sends Alexas to try to win back Antony using gifts (jew...

  Charles Marlow  The central male character, who has set out to court the young attractive Kate Hardcastle. A well-educated man, “bred a scholar”, Marlow is brash and rude to Mr. Hardcastle, owner of “Liberty Hall” (a reference to another site in London), whom Marlow believes to be an innkeeper. Because Marlow’s rudeness is comic, the audience is likely not to dislike him for it. Marlow is sophisticated and has travelled the world. Around working-class women Marlow is a lecherous rogue, but around those of an upper-class card he is a nervous, bumbling fool. Thus, his interview with Kate exploits the man’s fears, and convinces Miss Hardcastle she’ll have to alter her persona drastically to make a relationship with the man possible. The character of Charles Marlow is very similar to the description of Goldsmith himself, as he too acted “sheepishly” around women of a higher class than himself, but among “creatures of another stamp” acted with the most confidence. George Hastings...

 She Stoops to overcome opens with a prologue during which an actor mourns the death of the classical comedy at the altar of sentimental, “mawkish” comedy. He hopes that Dr. Goldsmith can remedy this problem through the play close to being presented. Act I is filled with set-up for the remainder of the play. Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle sleep in an old house that resembles an inn and that they are expecting the arrival of Marlow, son of Mr. Hardcastle’s old flame, and a possible suitor to his daughter Kate. Kate is extremely on the brink of her father, such a lot so that she dresses plainly within the evenings (to suit his conservative tastes) and fancifully within the mornings for her friends. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hardcastle’s niece Constance is within the old woman’s care, and has her small inheritance (consisting of some valuable jewels) held until she is married, hopefully to Mrs. Hardcastle’s spoiled son from an earlier marriage, Tony Lumpkin. the matter is that neither Tony nor Constan...

Major Characters Dr. Faustus The main character of the story, Faustus is a professor of divinity at Wittenberg, as well as a renowned physician and scholar. Not satisfied with the limitations of human knowledge and power, he begins to practice necromancy. He eventually makes a deal with Lucifer (commonly referred to as the "Faustian bargain"), whereby he exchanges his soul for twenty-four years of the devil’s service to him. In the next twenty-four years, Faustus obtains all kinds of knowledge and power through his devil-servant, Mephistophilis. They travel all over the world, playing practical jokes on peasants and even the Pope, displaying magical powers to the emperor and the nobility; Faustus wishes and whims are played out in his various adventures. At times Faustus experiences doubt and despair over having sold his soul to the devil. He comes close to repenting at several crucial points in the story, but never follows through. Even to the end, Faustus refuses to fully r...

 The Chorus introduces the story of Faustus, born to lowly parents in Rhodes, going off to study at Wittenberg while staying with a kinsman. Faustus is gifted in divinity, but his self-conceit leads him to consider necromancy. Faustus sits in his study, analyzing different academic disciplines. He concludes that although divinity is the subject that is best, it does not satisfy him. He would rather pursue black magic so that he can be his own god. He orders his servant, Wagner, to get his friends Valdes and Cornelius, who are known to be practitioners of magic. Before they come, the Good Angel and the Evil Angel appear. Although Faustus is not aware of their presence, the Good Angel tries to discourage him, while the Evil Angel urges him to go forward. Valdes and Cornelius come and they offer to teach him the basics of magic. Through magic, Faustus conjures up the devil, Mephistophilis. Because Faustus has blasphemed against God in his incantations, Mephistophilis has come to see i...