THE YOUNG ADMIRAL

Licensed 3 July 1633

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ALBERTO
A nobleman of Naples. He accompanies the king and prince Cesario outside of the city to meet the admiral Vittori. Alberto is innocent of counseling the king to banish Vittori, Alphonso, and Cassandra.

ALPHONSO
Alphonso is the father of the admiral Vittori. He is first arrested by Prince Cesario upon accusation of treason and later is asked to take arms and fight for Naples against his own son.

ANTONY
Only mentioned. Mark Antony formed part of the triumvirate who ruled after the murder of Julius Caesar. Cesario mentions Antony in speaking of the ways in which honored men of the past had become vain and sought personal advancement instead of putting their country's welfare first. Cesario believes Vittori is so self-centered.

CAPTAIN
The Captain serves under the admiral Vittori's command and seems perplexed when Naples offers no welcome for the victorious admiral.

CASSANDRA
As Vittori's mistress, Cassandra dons mourning garb to issue forth from the city and warn Vittori of Cesario's amorous advances toward her and the lack of any welcome from the city in celebration of the admiral's victories. Given over by Vittori to the enemy king of Sicily, Cassandra finds her life pledged as assurance for Vittori's defection to Sicily. She and the Sicilian princess Rosinda concoct letters that lure the Neapolitan Cesario to the Sicilian camp; ultimately, a peace is obtained when captives Rosinda and Cesario plan to wed, as do Cassandra and Vittori.

CESARIO
As prince of Naples, Cesario dislikes Vittori and is obsessed with Vittori's love, Cassandra. He has mildly courted the Sicilian princess Rosinda but fails to return her love, instead focusing his effort on finding ways to eliminate Vittori. He even uses Vittori's father Alphonso as a pawn in his schemes to win Cassandra. Ultimately Cesario is a prisoner of the king of Sicily, just as that king's daughter Rosinda is a prisoner of Naples. Cesario and Rosinda find love; their forthcoming marriage ends the hostilities between Naples and Sicily.

DIDIMO
As page to Rosinda, Didimo executes a wild scheme to turn the servant Pazzorello into a "gentleman." He urges Pazzorello to engage in several types of battle-related foolishness, including convincing Pazzorello that a bewitchment has rendered the would-be gentleman immune to many types of battle wounds.

FABIO
As a foppish Naples nobleman and friend to Cesario, Fabio is known for his pompous and flowery elocution. He games with Mauritio and loses his bet; because Fabio survives the Naples versus Sicily battles, he loses half of his land to Mauritio.

FABRICHIO
Fabrichio is a Sicilian captain and marshal of the field. He is ordered by the Sicilian king to make entrenchments, and he is enlisted by Rosinda in a scheme to get Cesario into the Sicilian camp.

FLAVIA
Flavia serves as an attendant lady upon the Sicilian princess Rosinda.

HERALD
The Herald is a disguise assumed by Vittori to facilitate getting in to see the Neapolitan king. He carries the message that Vittori has become general for Sicily, and learns that Vittori's father Alphonso will be executed if Vittori attacks Naples.

HOPPO
A fictitious character. This name is used to describe the imaginary demons that attend the so-called with Mephistophilus (Flavia in disguise).

HORATIO
Horatio is a Sicilian nobleman who has courted Cassandra and who swears that Vittori must die. He continually plots against not only Vittori but Cesario as well in his efforts to harm these two nobles who both love Cassandra.

JULIO
Julio is a Neapolitan noble and friend of Cesario who knows that Cesario plots against Vittori. He is unsuccessful in his mission to retrieve Vittori and Cassandra following their banishment; he reports that the two lovers are have escaped by sea.

KING of NAPLES
This monarch is altogether too much ruled by his son Cesario, listening as his son spreads false tales about the disloyalty of Vittori and Alphonso, and banishing that father and son, along with Cassandra. The king eventually recognizes his son's faults and is pleased to welcome the Sicilian princess Rosinda as a future daughter-in-law.

KING of SICILY
Because his daughter Rosinda has been courted and then shunned by the Neapolitan prince Cesario, the Sicilian king attacks Naples. He first gives succor to the banished Vittori and next holds Cassandra as surety that Vittori will turn traitor to Naples. His daughter's honor is eventually avenged as Cesario and Rosinda plight their troth toward the play's end.

MAURITIO
Mauritio, also called Mauricio, is a Neapolitan captain serving under Vittori, Mauritio wagers with the courtier Fabio concerning the latter's survival in time of war. The wager is that if Fabio survives, Mauritio will gain half of Fabio's land. Mauritio wins his wager.

MEPHISTOPHILUS
This is the name taken by Flavia. On Didimo's suggestion she dons a witch's guise and helps convince Pazzorello that bewitchment has made him nearly invulnerable in battle. The witch name used here is that of Dr. Faustus' familiar.

MESSENGER
This unnamed Messenger brings Naples news of a large Sicilian fleet touching ashore.

PAZZORELLO
As servant to Rosinda, Pazzorello would be a gentleman. He begs to march with the troops and is easily duped by Didimo into believing a bewitchment has rendered him nearly invulnerable to war injuries. He even foolishly attempts to become "Signior Perdu" by lying prone in the field among whizzing bullets.

ROSINDA
Rosinda is a princess and daughter to the king of Sicily. She accompanies her father and the troops to their encampment, recognizing that her unrequited love for the Neapolitan prince Cesario forms the basis for this Sicilian invasion. She is instrumental in luring Cesario to the Sicilian camp; she also presents herself a willing prisoner to Naples. Her forthcoming wedding to Cesario secures a peace between the two cities.

SCIPIO
Only mentioned. Scipio was a Roman opportunist shortly after the time of the murder of Julius Caesar. Cesario mentions Scipio in discussing how honored men of the past sometimes sought their own advancement; Cesario feels Vittori is such a self-interested person.

SERGEANT
The Sergeant is a Sicilian combatant who leads Pazzorello into the battlefield, where Pazzorello-following false instructions on gentlemanly behavior-lies face down among the whizzing bullets.

SIGNIOR PERDU
Signior Perdu is the name used by Didmo for Pazzorello. According to Didimo, a Signior Perdu is a gentleman who lies prone upon a raging battlefield.

SOLDIER, FIRST
Soldier represents the common military man who feels that promise of future reward is small remuneration or comfort for the soldier without noble rank.

SUCKLE
A fictitious character. Suckle is an imaginary demon attending Flavia in her disguise as a witch.

TRIVULSI
Trivulsi is a nobleman who loyally serves the king of Sicily.

VITTORI
A Neapolitan noble and son of Alphonso, Vittori is the young admiral for whom the play is named. His battle commission originated with prince Cesario, who sent Vittori to battle in hopes that the admiral would die. Instead returning victorious, Vittori finds himself accused of treason and banished, along with his father and his beloved Cassandra. Ending up in the Sicilian camp, Vittory finds that the Sicilian king threatens to kill Cassandra if Vittori refuses to general the Sicilian troops. In Naples, word is that Vittori's father-newly returned-will be executed if Vittori attacks Naples. Caught in the middle, Vittori accompanies Rosinda as she offers herself as a prisoner in Naples and as pledge for Cesario, whom the Sicilians hold captive. As the two cities embrace peace in the forthcoming union of Rosinda and Cesario, Vittori also plans to wed his mistress Cassandra.