Anonymous
[By "W.S." on Title Page, possibly Thomas Middleton's]

[Shakespeare Apocrypha]

THE PURITAN, or
THE WIDOW OF WATLING STREET

1606

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ANTLINGS, NICHOLAS ST.

Servant to Lady Plus and Sir Godfrey. A kinsman to Idle, he joins with Oath in attempting to free him. He is not convinced by Idle to steal his master's gold chain, which Idle will use to purchase his freedom; instead, he "loans" it to Pyeboard, who convinces Nicholas to tell his master that Idle can retrieve the stolen item, if he is freed from jail.

DOGSON

A Catchpole. He assists the Sheriff's deputy in attempting to arrest Pyeboard. Pyeboard manages to escape them with the assistance of a gentleman citizen to whom he appeals at random.

EDMOND

The son to the Widow, he refuses to mourn his father, seeing his death as inevitable and as an opportunity to take over the family fortune. He is tricked into thinking he is invisible by Pyeboard, and proceeds to make a fool of himself with his uncle Godfrey by striking him.

FRAILTY

A servant to Lady Plus.

FRANCES

The Widow's daughter, she mourns her father and encourages her mother to remarry, while vowing to remain unmarried herself. At the end of the play she agrees to marry Sir Andrew Tipstaff .

GENTLEMAN CITIZEN

He is convinced by Pyeboard, whom he has never met and who picked his home at random, to help him escape from the catchpole, Dogson, and the Sheriff's deputy.

IDLE, CAPTAIN

A highwayman and old friend of Skirmish, he is arrested at the opening of the play. He convinces Nicholas to steal a gold chain from his master, Sir Godfrey, which he can use to purchase his freedom from jail. Along with Pyeboard, he tricks Godfrey into freeing him, and together they pretend to "conjure" the missing chain. He plots to marry the Widow, but when Skirmish reveals the plot to trick her, she marries Oliver Muckhill.

KEEPER of the MARSHALSEA PRISON

He is bribed by Sir Godfrey to free Idle from jail.

MARY

The Widow's daughter, she mourns her father and encourages her mother to remarry while publicly promising her mother not to marry. In the meantime she launches her own plan to marry Pennydub, a plan she goes forward with despite the warnings of Pyeboard.

MUCKHILL SIR OLIVER

A rich city Knight and suitor to the Widow. After Pyeboard and Idle's machinations are revealed, he marries the Widow.

OATH, CORPORAL

A vainglorius fellow, he vows to free his friend Idle. He helps Pyeboard in his charade by pretending to be dead, and then being "raised" by Pyeboard's magic.

PENNYDUB, SIR JOHN

A Country Knight and Suitor to Mary, who, despite Pyeboard's machinations, marries Mary.

PLUS, SIR GODFREY

Brother-in-law to the Widow Plus, he attempts to comfort his mourning sister-in-law. He urges her to remarry, the sooner the better. Later, after his chain is stolen by Nicholas, he bemoans its loss and agrees to help free Idle, whom he is convinced can help he retrieve it. After the show of conjuring by Pyeboard and Idle, he is directed to find his chain in his garden.

PLUS, LADY

A citizen's widow. She opens the play mourning the death of her husband, and refuses to consider remarriage, as her brother-in-law urges. She is annoyed by her son's new found freedom, which includes playing tennis, and she continues to resist her brother-in-law's overtures to remarry, and insists her daughters likewise never marry. She is convinced by Pyeboard that her husband suffers in purgatory (the existence of which she initially does not acknowledge) and will be freed only if she and Frances agree to marry and to stand naked before their suitors, and if Mary agree to remain chaste. She is initially tricked into agreeing to marry Idle, but after Pyeboard's tricks are revealed, she marries Sir Oliver Muckhill.

PUTTOCK

Sheriff's Sergeant who arrests Pyeboard, only to be is tricked by him into delaying his arrest until Pyeboard has had an opportunity to retrieve money from his "friend," the citizen. With the help of the citizen he escapes.

PYEBOARD, GEORGE

A scholar, he plans to guile the Widow, and enlists the help of Peter Skirmish. First he hatches a plan to free Idle from prison by having Nicholas steal his master's gold chain, then he cons the widow into believing that her husband is in purgatory and can only be freed via the widow's remarriage, the marriage of Frances, and the chastity of Mary. He prophesizes to her that blood will be shed outside her home, and that this blood will presage the suffering of her husband in purgatory. He also predicts that Godfrey will suffer a loss. To help make his prophecies come true, he engages Oath and Skirmish into his plan by having Skirmish wound Oath and making it appear that Oath has died; he later "cures" Oath and wins the trust and admiration of all scholars and cheaters. In the meantime he frees Idle with the promise to Godfrey to help retrieve the missing chain. He raises Oath from the dead (by use of an anecdote for the sleeping potion he was given), thereby saving Skirmish from the Sheriff, who has arrested him for Oath's murder. His plan/plot to marry Francis is foiled by Skirmish's revelation of the plot.

RAVENSHAW

The Sheriff's Sergeant who arrests Pyeboard for non-payment of debts, but is tricked by Pyeboard into freeing him so he, Pyeboard, can collect the money he owes.

SHERIFF of LONDON

The Sheriff of London. He arrests Skirmish for Oath's murder.

SIMON ST. MARY OVERIES

A servant to Lady Plus and Sir Godfrey, she attempts to convince Pyeboard and Nicholas not to steal nor cheat, citing the ten commandments as her authority for all prohibitions

SKIRMISH, PETER

An old soldier, he agrees to help Pyeboard cheat the Widow, with the agreement that Pyeboard will teach him to conjure. In the end, however, he turns on Pyeboard and reveals all the deceptions to Lady Plus and Sir Godfrey

TIPSTAFF, SIR ANDREW

A Courtier and suitor to Francis, whom he marries.

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