Betty is a waiting maid to Sabina. In Act Two, she brings a letter from her
lady to Valentine. Later, she returns to her lady and tells her that
Valentine is truly in love with her. She advises her to wait and not to be
so sad if she does not want to be as melancholic as a Spaniell.
BOY
In Act Five, this boy comes to Welt´s looking for Trash as his master is
waiting for him.
BUDGET
Budget is Muchcraft´s man. He works with the Attorney in legal cases.
FAIREFAITH
Fairefaith is kinsman and cousin to Valentine, and Lover of Mirabell. He is
thought to be too young for her so he does not have too many expectations
to marry his beloved lady. In such a mood, he suggests Valentine forgetting
about marrying Sabina in the same way that he gives up. However, when
Mistress Mirabell comes with Sabina, he asks her for her love. Fairefaith
is accepted but he has to keep it in secret. When Sir Timothy arrives with
Sir Plenteous, he is invited to go with them to squander. Then, he tells
Sir Plenteous about Valentine´s intention to wed Mistress Sabina. In Act
Three, Valentine´s renunciation to see Sabina worries Fairefaith as he
thinks that it could be an obstacle to be accepted by Mirabell. Thus, he
decides to go to tell her that she is too coy about sleeping with him.
Fairefaith confesses her that her sister has slept with Valentine, what
does not help him because from now on she will reject any gentleman to be
her lover. His only option is to promise her that he will help her to
restore her sister's reputation if she accepts him. In the end, she will do
so when her father gives her to Fairefaith.
HILTS
Hilts is a blunt fellow, servant to Sir Timothy, who pays him three pounds
and a trencher-cloak a year for his services. In Act One, he is invited by
Sir Plenteous´s servants to a drink but he rejects the invitation as he is
waiting for his master. Hilts is pretty proud of his work as, in his
opinion, his master's property is in a better condition than in his
ancestor's time. However, later in Act Three, he is the scorn of his master
when he finds out that Valentine has spent the night at his house with his
daughter. He is asked to seek for Muchcraft. And, on his way, he attacks
Sir Plenteous to take revenge for his son's offence.
HYMEN
Only mentioned. Mythological character, son of Apollo and one of the muses,
who was the god of marriage. He is invoked by Sabina when she comes up with
the idea of marriage.
KATE
Kate is waiting maid to Mirabell. She is beloved of Hilts.
MIRABELL
Mistress Mirabell is daughter to Sir Timothy. In Act One, arriving with
Mistress Sabina, she is flattered by Fairefaith, whom she accepts as her
friend and servant and whom she allows to send her letters just for now.
She will be his but it has to be a secret. In Act Three, she is told about
her sister's affair with Valentine making her be aware of the danger in
which she is. Therefore, Mirabell runs to tell her father everything. In
Act Five, her loyalty is rewarded with a husband, Fairefaith, her suitor
and lover.
MUCHCRAFT
Muchcraft is an Attorney. In Act Three, he is talking to his man, Budget,
about one of his cases, William Woodcock versus Tristam Widgroom, when
Hilts pays him a visit. With his master, they want to know what can be
considered to be trespassing.
MUSICIANS
In Act Four, a group of musicians comes and plays in the wedding of Sabina
and Valentine, both of them in disguise.
OFFICERS
In Act Five, a party of officers comes to seek for Sabina and Valentine.
They are to arrest Valentine for his attack on Sabina's honour.
ROGER
Roger is a servant to Sir Plenteous. He invites his fellow Hilts to a
drink.
ROWLAND
Rowland is a servant to Sir Plenteous and always goes with Roger.
SABINA
Mistress Sabina is daughter to Sir Timothy. On her arrival in Act One, her
suitor comes to flatter her and she turns out to have a lot of personality
by confessing him that she decides whom she will marry. Thus, she invites
Valentine to stay with her in her chamber. She looks very gloomy and she
cannot wait to be with her lover so she listens to the wise advices of her
maid. Later, she welcomes Valentine and sleeps with him. But, when he
leaves her, Sabina also takes a disguise to restore her reputation. The disguise is a veil, or mask, that Sabina takes to take revenge for being dishonored. She uses a mask that helps her to go unnoticed. She wants to marry Valentine, whom she recognizes under the disguise. She asks him to choose between marrying her or dying, which finally convinces him. Sabina will keep the veil until the last scene where she discovers herself in front of everybody showing her husband whom he wedded and sorting out the problem.
SIR PLENTEOUS CRAMBAGGE
Sir Plenteous is an old usurer. When he arrives in Act One, he discovers
that his son wants to marry Mistress Sabina. Plenteous confesses that he
was in love with his wife when he married her, as his son truly loves Sir
Timothy's daughter now. However, he is not very pleased with that choice
because he thinks that the lady has a really bad character and her father
is bankrupted. He would only accept the wedding if she had a good dowry.
Nevertheless, when Fairefaith tells him that she has rejected his son, Sir
Plenteous decides to go to talk to her father to arrange the wedding. On
his arrival, he is attacked by a furious Hilts. In Act Four, he blames
Sabine for having bewitched his son, whom finally marries the lady.
SIR PLENTEOUS CRAMBAGGE´S WIFE
A "ghost character." She is mentioned by her husband when he confesses that
he loved her when they got married.
SIR TIMOTHY TESTY
Sir Timothy is an old angry bankrupt knight with two daughters,
Sabina and Mirabell. Being asked about how much he is to bequeath to his
daughter, Sabina, he announces that he is to give her 1,000 blessings, but
no money at all. In Act Three, he is informed of the recent events. He
flies into a rage and calls her own daughter a whore and he blames Hilts
for letting people enter his house. Thus, he asks Hilts to go to look for
his cousin Muchcraft to ask for help. He wants to know if entering a house
at night might be considered to be trespassing. Being explained about his
rights, he sends a bunch of Officers to look for his daughter Sabina. In
Act Five, he wants to arrest Valentine but he still has the heart to
forgive him if he marries her. With the wedding, he wins a loyal servant
and gives his two daughters, Sabina and Mirabell, to Valentine and
Fairefaith, respectively.
SIR TIMOTHY´S ANCESTORS
Group of "ghost characters" that are mentioned in Act One by Hilts to talk
about his master's property. They are Sir Timothy's father and grandfather.
SPORTLOVE
Sportlove is friend to Valentine. In Act Two, he tells his friend that
somebody like him-handsome, with good clothes, education and money-should
not worry because he will have Mistress Sabina in the end. Thus, when
Valentine receives a letter from Sabina, he advises him to promise things
to the lady to sleep with her, and then leave her.
TRASH
Trash is the Clown, and a servant to Valentine. As his master, he is in
love, but in this case with Valentine´s lady's maid, Betty. Thus, when in
Act Three, his master says that he does not want to see Sabina again, he
saddens because that means that he will not see Betty either. Later, in Act
Five, his presence is summoned by his master so he has to pack all his
possessions and meet him. But, he has to leave them as they have been
confiscated. With his master's wedding, Trash goes to serve Sir Timothy who
appoints him Steward of his house for his discretion, judgement, wit and
police.
TRISTAM WIDGROOM
A "ghost character." Muchcraft tells Budget about him. He was sued by William Woodcock but won the case.
VALENTINE CRAMBAGGE
Valentine is the handsome son to Sir Plenteous, and Lover of Sabina. He is
advised by his friend to renounce Sabina's love but as soon as she arrives
in Act One, he kneels down to pay a compliment to her. In Act Two,
Valentine is miserable because he does not have the love of his beloved
Sabina, what makes his friend Sportlove cheer him up. Soon, Valentine
receives a letter from Sabina who invites him to visit her. He is advised
by Sportlove to get to sleep with the lady, which he does. After that, he
does not want to see her again. Thus, Valentine disguises himself as a
woman to go unnoticed. He is thought to have escaped to Lincoln, but he
actually stays at Welt´s.
WELT
Welt is the Shoemaker, at whose house Valentine lays in the time of his
disguise. In Act Five, he has an argument with his wife because his guest
is leaving without paying.
WELT´S WIFE
She is the Shoemaker's wife. In Act Five, knowing that her guest is leaving
without leaving any money for her service, she decides to keep his clothes.
WILLIAM WOODCOCK
A "ghost character." Muchcraft tells Budget about him. He has sued Tristam Widgroom and lost the case.
WOMAN
Disguise that Valentine takes while he stays at Welt´s. Nevertheless, he is
recognized by his beloved Sabina who uses a mask to hide her identity. It
does not work as Sabine can see behind the dress. He rejects the idea of
marriage as he has promised to stay single. But, on second thoughts, he
finally accepts her without knowing her true identity. He is to leave
Welt´s without paying and asks his servant to pack all his possessions. In
Act Five, Valentine is to be arrested for his wicked deeds but he might be
pardoned if he weds the lady. He would not have any objection if he were
not married. Thus, his wife is brought to him masked. In the end, he finds
out that she is Sabina, which is a great relief to him.