Character Summary

Duke of Buckingham: an English peer who has designs to turn the king’s mind against Cardinal Wolsey only to have the tables turned on him by the Cardinal

Duke of Norfolk: an English peer who was present at England and France’s sumptuous peace ceremony and who advises Buckingham to avoid antagonizing Cardinal Wolsey head-on

Lord Aburgavenny: an English peer and the Duke of Buckingham’s son-in-law who is arrested along with the Duke of Buckingham

Cardinal Wolsey: a corrupt clergyman who is nonetheless King Henry Viii’s most trusted counselor

Brandon: an officer who regretfully arrests the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Aburgavenny

King Henry VIII: Elizabeth's father

Queen Katherine: wife to King Henry VIII, later the Princess Dowager

Surveyor: a superintendent in the Duke of Buckingham’s service who testifies to the Duke’s intention to usurp the crown

Lord Chamberlain: an English peer

Lord Sands, a.k.a. Sir Walter Sands: an English peer in league with Lord Chamberlain

Sir Thomas Lovell: another English peer

Sir Henry Guilford: the English peer who welcomes the Lords Chamberlain and Sands and Sir Thomas Lovell to Cardinal Wolsey’s banquet

Anne Bullen: Queen Katherine’s maid of honor, later the Queen

Gentlemen: two gentlemen who lament the fates of the Duke of Buckingham, who is to be executed, and Queen Katherine, whose marriage to the King will be annulled

Sir Nicholas Vaux: the English peer who conducts the Duke of Buckingham to the place of execution

Duke of Suffolk: in league with the Duke of Buckingham to have the King freed from Cardinal Wolsey’s influence

Gardiner: the King’s secretary who is later appointed the Bishop of Winchester who espouses a deadly hate for the Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer

Cardinal Campeius: a legate of the Pope sent for by Cardinal Wolsey to help with the ethical issues surrounding the annulment of the King’s marriage to Queen Katherine

Old Lady: Anne Bullen’s friend who takes Anne to task for denying a desire for wealth and eminence

Bishop of Lincoln: a lord who testifies to the fact that King Henry VIII came to him with the King’s initial doubt of Queen Katherine’s fidelity which supports Cardinal Wolsey’s assertion that he had no role in precipitating the divorce

Earl of Surrey: Duke of Buckingham’s son-in-law who holds a grudge against Cardinal Wolsey

Cromwell: Cardinal Wolsey’s faithful servant

Gentlemen: three gentlemen who discuss Anne’s coronation and of its pertaining intrigues and pageantry

Griffith: gentleman usher to the Dowager Princess Katherine who gives the Dowager Princess good counsel during her hours of distress

Patience: a faithful waiting woman of the Dowager Princess Katherine

Capuchius: ambassador from the Emperor Charles V who offers Katherine solace on King Henry’s behalf

Sir Anthony Denny: an English peer who fetches the Archbishop of Canterbury on the King’s behalf

Cranmer: the Archbishop of Canterbury who is resigned to the fact that his enemies will get the better of him

Keeper: doorkeeper of the Council-chamber who bars the Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer from entering

Doctor Butts: the King’s physician who apprises the King of the Council’s maltreatment of the Archbisop of Canterbury Cranmer

Lord Chancellor: a Council member

Porter: the porter who has his hands full in trying to maintain order at the grounds where the King’s daughter is being christened

Man: the porter’s assistant who is taken to task by the Porter for not doing a good enough job in controlling the crowd