Simon Baylie

THE WIZARD

circa 1620–circa 1640

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ANTONIO YOUNGLOVE

Antonio is the eldest son of Sir Oliver Younglove and a suitor to Caelia. His father believes Antonio is his proxy to Caelia, but Antonio is actually wooing her for himself. When the disguised Clerimont rails against Sir Oliver for the worthlessness of his suit, Antonio pursues him and forces him into a duel. When Caelia declares that she will leave her choice of suitors to a conjurer, Antonio despairs and decides to exile himself, but Clerimont persuades him to disguise himself as an ancient conjurer instead. In this disguise, Antonio meets with Caelia and Penelope, who have changed clothes. When he is able to correctly identify them, they believe he is a true conjurer. Antonio then tells Caelia that she will marry the man who most resembles himself, a prophecy she believes means she is destined to marry old Sir Oliver. Antonio also tells Penelope that she is to marry Sebastian. Next, the disguised Antonio meets with Sebastian, and promises him he is to marry Caelia. Sebastian is joyful until he overhears the supposed conjurer promise his next visitor, Sir Oliver, that he will marry the virgin Caelia in the morning if she live that long. Antonio escapes Sebastian's anger by promising that he will spend the night with Caelia, and by Antonio's apparent ability to conjure spirits (really Caelia and Penelope behind a screen). Antonio then induces Penelope to spend the night with Sebastian, pretending to be Caelia. In the morning, Antonio, now disguised as his father, pretends to Caelia that he has been wounded in a duel for her by Clerimont, He then appears as the conjurer, but when both ruses are found out, he reveals himself and he and Caelia are married. Antonio appears as the conjurer a final time in the final scene, revealing himself and all the various tricks that have been played.

BUTLER

A "ghost character." Shallow appears "speaking as at the door" to Mr. Butler, whom he thanks for his beaver. Mr. Butler is the brother of the Cook.

CAELIA

Caelia is courted by four different men and cannot make up her mind which to choose. She announces that she intends to leave the choice up to a conjurer. When the disguised Anthony is able to correctly identify her, despite changing clothes with her sister, she believes he is a true conjurer and agrees to his choice. When she is told that she will marry the man who most resembles the conjurer, she believes it is a sign that she should marry her oldest suitor, Sir Oliver, and commits herself to him. With her sister, she appears behind a screen to convince Sebastian that Antonio is a true conjurer. In the morning, she is ready to marry Sir Oliver, and goes over papers he has sent that promise to turn over all his money and property to her. Antonio enters disguised as his father, but is found out. Nevertheless, when Caelia finds out that Antonio disguised himself as the conjurer to win her, she agrees to marry him.

CAPTAIN

Clerimont disguises himself as a Captain in the first few scenes in order to insult his father's desire to marry Caelia and help his friend Sebastian to win her.

CLERIMONT YOUNGLOVE

Clerimont is the youngest son of Sir Oliver Younglove and the brother to Antonio. He first appears disguised as a Captain in order to help his friend Sebastian win Caelia. After insulting Sir Oliver's suit, Clerimont is challenged to a duel by Antonio and must reveal himself before blood is drawn. At this point, Clerimont agrees to help Antonio with his suit. Clerimont overhears Penelope complaining about being overshadowed by her sister, and sees Hog and Delia ensnare Shallow. When Caelia declares that she will leave her choice of suitors to a conjurer, Antonio despairs and decides to exile himself, but Clerimont persuades him to disguise himself as an ancient conjurer instead. Clerimont then forces Hog to steal plate and plants it for the Cook to find where the "conjurer" tells him to look. Clerimont continues to help his brother, all the while declaring his immunity to love, a character note that is never explained. When all the deceptions have been revealed, Clerimont apologizes for helping Antonio rather than Sebastian, and is forgiven because he owes more loyalty to his brother than his friend.

CONSTABLE

The Constable, along with an unspecified number of Officers, is charged by Sebastian to arrest Shallow, whom he mistakenly believes is the conjurer, and does so, declaring he is unafraid of devils.

COOK

The Cook works for the Caelia. He is told by the disguised Antonio that missing spoons will be found in Hog's boots. The Cook reports the truth of this to Caelia and this convinces her that the conjurer is a true magician.

CUSTOMER of HOG

A "ghost character." Hog refers to an impatient customer who has sent him a box of tobacco and has a beer license laid by. Delia is unimpressed by this example of careful planning.

DELIA

Delia is the waiting gentlewoman to Caelia and also a confederate of Hog's. Together, they plan to convince Shallow that Delia is a lady, and in love with him. Shallow is fooled, but her station is revealed in the final scene. She is not punished however, as Caelia asks that there be no anger during such a joyful time.

GENTLECRAFT

A "ghost character" and possibly an imaginary one as well. When Shallow asks Delia who she has loved, she responds that she loved "one of the gentlecraft" who had a gift for tickling a Lady's heel.

HAWTIES LACKEY, LADY

A "ghost character" and possibly an imaginary one as well. When Shallow asks Delia who she has loved, she responds that she first loved Lady Hawties Lackey.

HOG

Hog is technically the servant of Shallow, but he is actually attempting to manipulate Shallow into marrying Delia. After his plot is discovered by Clerimont, he is forced to steal spoons so that the disguised Antonio can "magically" discover their hiding place. Hog successfully manipulates Shallow into agreeing to marry Delia, and even takes a turn as the conjurer, but in the end all his schemes are revealed. His response is to own up to being a dealer in "cracked affairs" but also to promise to amend himself and his profession.

MUSICIANS

An unspecified number of Musicians are hired by Sir Oliver to play outside Caelia's window. When Sebastian appears, apparently from Caelia's bedroom, Sir Oliver dismisses the musicians, calling them scoundrels and "unlucky gutvexers."

OLIVER YOUNGLOVE, SIR

Sir Oliver Younglove is one of Caelia's suitors. His age and various ailments cause him to ask his eldest son, Antonio to woo Caelia for him. He is so in love with Caelia that he sends her letters promising her all his money and property. Antonio, disguised as a conjurer, tells him that he will marry the virgin Caelia, if she is still alive in the morning, so Sir Oliver arrives at what he believes is her window with musicians early the next day. The music rouses Sebastian, who has spent the night with Penelope, and his appearance causes Sir Oliver great anger. When Penelope unveils and Sebastian realizes he has been with the wrong sister, Sir Oliver at first thinks Caelia has saved herself for him. His triumph is short lived, however, when Antonio and Caelia enter, married. He quickly forgives them and hopes that they live and die together and leave behind happy children.

PENELOPE

Penelope is the younger sister of Caelia and she complains that she is overshadowed by her sister's beauty, and has no suitors of her own. She changes clothes with Caelia and appears veiled before the disguised Antonio, whom she believes is a conjurer. When Antonio correctly identifies the sisters, they are convinced of his magic abilities and ask who they should marry. Antonio tells her that she will marry Sebastian. Antonio then induces Penelope to spend the night with Sebastian, pretending to be Caelia. In the morning, Penelope unveils herself to Sebastian and at first he is enraged that he has been fooled, but then agrees to marry and honor Penelope.

PRIEST

The Priest is brought by Clerimont to marry Antonio and Caelia. In an earlier scene, a silent character called the Parson enters with Antonio; this may reasonably be presumed to be the same character as the Priest.

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian is a suitor for Caelia and a friend of Clerimont, who at first offers to help him win Caelia. When Antonio disguises himself as a conjurer, Sebastian asks him if he will have Caelia and Antonio promises that he will have her. Sebastian is joyful until he overhears the supposed conjurer promise his next visitor, Sir Oliver, that he will marry the virgin Caelia in the morning if she live that long. Antonio escapes Sebastian's anger by promising that he will spend the night with Caelia, and by Antonio's apparent ability to conjure spirits (really Caelia and Penelope behind a screen). Sebastian arrives at Caelia's bedroom and believes the woman who speaks to him in the darkness is Caelia. In the morning, he surprises Sir Oliver by emerging from Caelia's bedroom, but is himself surprised when Penelope unveils herself. He is enraged at first, but then agrees to love and marry her.

SERVINGMEN

"Ghost characters." Antonio promises Caelia that his Servingmen, who are good tall knaves, will protect them both if she agrees to marry her.

SHALLOW

Shallow is a suitor of Caelia, but he quickly realizes he has no chance to win her. He is fooled by Hog and Delia into believing that Delia is a lady and in love with her, and so he agrees to marry her. He disguises himself as the conjurer, on Hog's advice, to supposedly trick Delia into revealing her love, and while disguised, he is arrested in Antonio's place by Sir Oliver and Sebastian. Shallow reveals himself and this results in everyone discovering the tricks played by Hog and Delia.

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