THE ENTERTAINMENT, or
THE MUSES' LOOKING-GLASS

licensed 25 November 1630

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ACOLASTUS
A glutton and libertine. Roscius characterizes him as "a voluptuous epicure, that out of an immoderate and untamed desire seeks after all pleasures promiscuously, without respect of honest or lawful." His opposite is Anaisthetus.

ADICUS
A "ghost character." He has accused Sophron of flat felony. Justice Nimis learns that he is the richer of the two and condemns Sophron as the thief.

ADMETUS
Only mentioned. A Thessalonian shepherd. Apollo once watched over his sheep.

AGROICUS
A clown. Roscius characterizes him as "a rustic, clownish fellow, whose discourse is all country; an extreme of Urbanity: whereby you may observe there is virtue in jesting." He speaks in country dialect about "my zon Dick." His opposite is Bomolochus.

ALAZON
Roscius characterizes him as one "that arrogates that to himself which is not his . . . erring in defending a falsehood." His opposite is Eiron.

ANAISKYNTIA
Aunt of Kataplectus (though he calls her mother). Roscius characterizes her as "Impudence, a bawd." Her opposite is Kataplectus.

ANAISTHETUS
A dour Stoic. Roscius characterizes him as "a mere anchorite, that delights in nothing, not in those legitimate recreations allowed of by God and nature." His opposite is Acolastus.

ANELEUTHERUS
Father of Asotus. Roscius characterizes him as "an illiberal, niggardly usurer, that will sell heaven to purchase earth." His opposite is his son, Asotus.

AORGUS
Roscius characterizes him as "a fellow so patient, or rather insensible of wrong, that he is not capable of the grossest abuse." His opposite is Orgylus. When Orgylus kicks him, he controls his anger by reciting the alphabet first in Greek, then Hebrew, then English.

APHILOTIMUS
A nickname for Luparius, given to her by Roscius to indicate that she is the opposite of the neatly dressed Philotimia.

APHOBUS
Roscius characterizes him as one "that out of an impious confidence fears nothing." Flowerdew says that he looks like Presumption. His opposite is Deilus.

APOLLO
Only mentioned. Comedy was first recognized over Tragedy by Apollo, according to Comedy. At play's end, Roscius says that the Muses' Looking-Glass was created by Apollo by taking water from the muses' spring and freezing it into a mirror finish. Its reflection shows every man his deformities. It does not last long, however, but when the glass is broken, its virtue is transfused "to live in comedy."

ARISTOTLE
Only mentioned. Roscius, in his first address to the audience, at the end of act one, asserts that their "author" owes "all the poor skills he has" to "great Aristotle."

ASOTUS
Son to Aneleutherus. Roscius characterizes him as "a profuse prodigal, that will sell earth to buy hell." His opposite is his father, Aneleutherus.

BACCHUS
Only mentioned. Part of the lineage of Tragedy, according to Comedy.

BANAUSUS
Roscius characterizes him as one who "out of a mere ostentation [is] vaingloriously expensive." His opposite is Microprepes.

BIRD
A feather-man. One "of the sanctified fraternity of Blackfriars," he brings feathers to the playhouse. In the opening scene, Flowerdew and Bird rant at the iniquity of playhouses, employing many of the Puritan arguments. They attempt to convert Roscius from play-acting. Roscius persuades him to stay and witness a play to see that it is not lewd but rather morally improving. By play's end, he is convinced.

BOMOLOCHUS
Eutrapeles complains that Bomolochus has abused him. Justice Nimis Sends Eutrapeles to jail, even though he is the complaining party, on the whim that it was he that offended. Roscius later characterizes him as "a fellow conceited of his own wit, though indeed it be nothing but the base dregs of scandal, and a lump of most vile and loathsome scurrility." His opposite is Agroicus.

CHAUNUS
Roscius characterizes him as "a fellow so highly conceited of his own parts, that he thinks no honor above him." His opposite is Micropsychus.

CIS
A "ghost character." Cis is one of Justice Nimis' "subsidy-women" along with Incontinence, "Jumping Jude," "bouncing Nan," and "heroic Doll," all of whom he sets free because of his relationship with them.

COLAX
Roscius characterizes him as one "that to seem over-courteous, falls into servile flattery." His opposite is Dyscolus. He remains on stage to flatter the other vices and so demonstrate how all are susceptible to base sycophancy.

COMEDY
Roscius calls her Thalia (the muse's actual name) though the stage directions and speech headings refer to her only as Comedy. She argues with her sister Tragedy over which of them is superior. She claims that her ability to move men through shame (which produces laughter) has a greater effect than Tragedy's to move men through fear.

DEILUS
Roscius characterizes him as one "that from an atheistical distrust shakes at the motion of a reed." Flowerdew says he looks like Despair. His opposite is Aphobus.

DICK
A "ghost character." Son of Agroicus, the rustic clown. Dick is "a pretty bookish scholar of his age" but his learning has turned him into "such a Jack-sauce as to have more wit than his vorefathers."

DOLL
A "ghost character." "Heroic Doll" is one of Justice Nimis' "subsidy-women" along with Incontinence, "Jumping Jude," "bouncing Nan," and Cis, all of whom he sets free because of his relationship with them.

DYSCOLUS
Roscius characterizes him as one "who, hating to be a slavish parasite, grows into peevishness and impertinent distaste." His opposite is Colax.

EIRON
Roscius characterizes him as one "that, out of an itch to be thought modest, dissembles his qualities . . . offending in denying a truth." His opposite is Alazon.

EUTRAPELES
A "ghost character." He complains that Bomolochus has abused him. Justice Nimis Sends Eutrapeles to jail, even though he is the complaining party, on the whim that it was he that offended.

FELLOW, DEFORMED
Roscius wishes him to play Mephistopheles. He is driven off, however, when he views is own face in a looking-glass and is appalled.

FLOWERDEW, MISTRESS
Wife to a haberdasher of small-wares. One "of the sanctified fraternity of Blackfriars," she brings pins and looking-glasses to the playhouse. In the opening scene, Flowerdew and Bird rant at the iniquity of playhouses, employing many of the Puritan arguments. Flowerdew specifically attacks the Globe, Phoenix, Fortune, Blackfriars, Red Bull, and the Bear Garden (Hope) theatres. She and Bird attempt to convert Roscius from play-acting. Roscius persuades her to stay and witness a play to see that it is not lewd but rather morally improving. By play's end, she is convinced.

FRAILTY
A "ghost character." A waiting-woman condemned by Justice Nimis of weakness, she is sentenced to be whipped.

FRIENDSHIP
A "ghost character." Mediocrity refers to her as her neice.

GENTLEWOMAN of ST. JOAN'S
A "ghost character." Accused of dishonesty, Justice Nimis says that severity will amend her if she will be honest.

INCONTINENCE
A "ghost character." One of Justice Nimis' "subsidy-women" along with "jumping Jude," "heroic Doll," "bouncing Nan," and Cis, all of whom he sets free because of his relationship with them.

INTEMPERANCE
A "ghost character." A bawd who is a tenant of Justice Nimis and therefore protected from judgement.

JUDE
A "ghost character." "Jumping Jude" is one of Justice Nimis' "subsidy-women" along with Incontinence, "heroic Doll," "bouncing Nan," and Cis, all of whom he sets free because of his relationship with them.

KATAPLECTUS
Nephew of Anaiskyntia (though he calls her mother). Roscius characterizes him as "an overbashful scholar." His opposite is Anaiskyntia.

LADIES, BANK—SIDE
Only mentioned. The prodigal Asotus wishes to send for "a whole coach or two" of such lewd women.

LUCILIUS
A "ghost character." Satire mentions this Roman satirist in demonstrating his own superiority over Mime.

LUPARIUS
Philotimia's husband. Roscius characterizes him as "a nasty, sordid sloven." His opposite is Philotimia, and for this reason Roscius refers to him as Aphilotimus.

MEDIOCRITY
Roscius characterizes her as "the mother of all virtues" by which it is evident that she is to be taken as "the golden mean" rather than the current use of the word. She presides over the dance of her daughters, the moral virtues, and alludes to her five other daughters, the intellectual virtues, and her niece, Friendship.

MEPHISTOPHELES
Only mentioned. Roscius wishes the Deformed Fellow to play Mephistopheles in the play.

MICROPREPES
Roscius characterizes him as one "in glorious works extremely base and penurious."

MICROPSYCHUS
Roscius characterizes him as "a base and low-spirited fellow, that, undervaluing his own qualities, dares not aspire to those dignities that otherwise his merits are capable of." His opposite is Chaunus.

MIME
Attendant to Comedy. Called "manlike-monkey" by Satire because of his apish nature. Mime argues that in mimicking man's foibles, he best instructs man to avoid them.

NAN
A "ghost character." "Bouncing Nan" is one of Justice Nimis' "subsidy-women" along with Incontinence, "Jumping Jude," "Heroic Doll," and Cis, all of whom he sets free because of his relationship with them.

NIHIL, JUSTICE
A justice who will acknowledge no offenders.

NIMIS, JUSTICE
A grasping, reckless justice.

NOMIUS
Only mentioned. An alternate name for Apollo which Comedy employs.

OEDIPUS
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

ORESTES
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

ORGYLUS
Roscius characterizes him as "an angry, quarrelsome man, moved with the least shadow or appearance of injury." His opposite is Aorgus.

PANOURGUS
A "ghost character." He has accused Prodetes of treason. Justice Nimis learns that Panourgus is the richer of the two and condemns him as the traitor because Nimis must do some injustice for his credit and not do all for gain.

PARUM
A clerk to Justices Nimis and Nihil.

PELOPS
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

PHEMONOE
A "ghost character." Priest of Apollo who first put the laurel crown on Comedy's head. One of the first sylphs to utter oracles at Delphos and who invented heroic measure.

PHILOTIMIA
Luparius' wife. Roscius characterizes her as "an over-curious lady, too neat in her attire." Her opposite is Luparius. When Anaiskyntia enters, she believes it is to announce that Acolastus and Asotus have sent for her.

PLUS
A clerk to Justices Nimis and Nihil.

PRIAM
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

PRIAPUS
Only mentioned. Part of the lineage of Comedy, according to Tragedy.

PRODETES
A "ghost character." He has accused Panourgus of treason. Justice Nimis learns that Panourgus is the richer of the two and condemns Panourgus as the traitor because Nimis must do some injustice for his credit and not do all for gain.

PROMETHEUS
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

ROSCIUS
A player. He tells Bird and Flowerdew that play-acting is not lewd but rather morally improving and invites them to stay and witness the play for their instruction. He then acts as a guide, showing them first a masque of the seven deadly sins, and then presents for their edification a series of comic interludes to scourge the sinful extremes of such noble virtues as "Comitas, or courtesy" (Colax/Dyscolus); "Fortitude" (Deilus/Aphobus); "Temperance" (Acolastus/Anaisthetus); "Liberality" (Asotus/Aneleutherus); "Magnificence" (Banausus/Microprepes); "Magnanimity" (Chaunus/Micropsychus); "Meekness" (Orgylus/Aorgus); "Truth" (Alazon/Eiron); "Pride of apparel" (Philotimia/Luparius); "Modesty" (Anaiskyntia/Kataplectus); "Justice" (Nimis/Nihil; Plus/Parum); "Urbanity" (Agroicus/Bomolochus). He finally presents the mother of virtue, Mediocrity, and thereby converts Bird and Flowerdew to his point that the stage is the arbiter of virtue and not the promoter of vice.

SATIRE
Attendant to Tragedy. He asserts his superiority over Mime by virtue of his ability to lash shame into men. He is given charge to prepare the "masque" that Comedy, Tragedy, Mime, and Satire intend to present. When Flowerdew misunderstands "mass" for "masque" and wishes to flee such popery on the stage, Roscius explains that the "masque" is "a rude dance presented by the seven deadly sins."

SINS, SEVEN DEADLY
Though not individually named, the Seven Deadly Sins perform a "rude dance" or "masque" at the end of act one. Generally, scholarship of the age agreed that the seven were Pride, Envy, Jealousy, Sloth, Avarice, Lust, and Gluttony although other sins, such as Wrath, could sometimes substitute for one or more of these. The play does not make clear which seven dance.

SNIP
A "ghost character." A tailor charged with riot, Justice Nihil lets him go because he is a neighbor.

SOPHOCLES
Only mentioned. Part of the lineage of Tragedy, according to Comedy.

SOPHRON
A "ghost character." He has accused Adicus of flat felony. Justice Nimis learns that Adicus is the richer of the two and condemns Sophron as the thief.

STRANGER
A "ghost character." Accused of quarrelling, Justice Nihil lets him go free because "we may be all strangers, and would be glad to find some mercy."

TANTALUS
Only mentioned. Tragedy uses this character as an example to convince Comedy of her superior ability to move men to reformation and improvement.

THALIA
The name Roscius correctly uses to refer to the character otherwise known as Comedy.

THESEUS
Only mentioned. Tragedy contended "in [her] full state" at Theseus' tomb.

TRAGEDY
She argues with her sister Comedy over which of them is superior. She claims that her ability to move men through fear has a greater effect than Comedy's to move men through laughter.

VIRTUES, MORAL
Though mute, these daughters of Mediocrity appear and dance toward play's end.

WIFE, COBBLER'S
A "ghost character." Accused of being a scold, Justice Nimis says to remind her of cucking-stools.

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