A hot-blooded relation of Petruccio's, Antonio is the most blood-thirsty in pursuit of the Duke's blood. In the fight against the Duke and John, Antonio is wounded by John. He is taken to a Surgeon, then discovers that his wench (Second
Constantia) and Francisco have robbed him meanwhile. He goes to Peter Vecchio's to consult him about his missing Second Constantia, where he hits Don John in his disguise of Asteroth.
ANTONIO'S SERVANT
Antonio's Servant reports to Antonio that a wench (Second Constantia) and
Francisco robbed him while he was at the Surgeon's and is sent to find a conjurer to tell Antonio where they went.
ASTEROTH
Don John's (q.v.) diabolical disguise in the "summoning" for Antonio.
BABY
A non-speaking character. The son of Constantia and the Duke, the Baby is given by a Woman to John, who hires Gillian to take care of him. Gillian and Constantia take the Baby to Peter Vecchio's house, where they are reunited with the Duke.
BAWD
Second Constantia's bawd, the Bawd is arrested by Petruccio and put in the custody of an Officer, along with Second Constantia and Francisco.
BAWD'S SERVANT
A non-speaking character. Brings wine to the Bawd.
CONSTANTIA
Petruccio's sister and wife to the Duke by a secret contract, Constantia has a reputation as a chaste and beautiful woman who has caused John and Frederic to spend months searching for her. She sees Frederic at night while he is out searching for John and begs him to hide her; when he does, she asks further that he rescue a man who was about to be ambushed. Frederic leaves her in the care of
Gillian, who takes her and the Baby (offstage) to Peter Vecchio's, where they appear as spirits representing themselves and are afterwards reunited with the
Duke and Petruccio.
DUKE OF FERRARA
The Duke is hunted by Petruccio for seducing and abandoning Constantia. In reality, however, the Duke was secretly contracted to Constantia, and he pledges to make the marriage public in a church wedding. He is searching for Constantia in Bologna despite warnings that rumors of how he ruined her make it dangerous for him to be there; Petruccio and his men ambush him, but John saves him. The
Duke appreciates John's valor but declares that his own identity must remain secret. He does, however, give John his hat, John having lost his own in the fight. The Duke is happy to find John again when John brings the challenge, and defuses John's anger by explaining how he did not in fact dishonor Constantia. He is upset when Constantia is not, as intended, at John and Frederic's lodgings and is further angered when John and Frederic produce Second Constantia and her Bawd instead of Constantia and Gillian; he gives John and Frederic until the next day to find his wife. Meanwhile, he goes to Peter Vecchio's with Petruccio, where Peter Vecchio produces Constantia, Gillian, and the Baby in a "summoning" and the family is reunited.
DUKE OF LORRAINE
A "ghost character" mentioned, possibly spuriously, as being seven thousand strong.
FABRITIO
A "ghost character." Woman mistakes Don John for Fabritio, who is apparently supposed to be the one to whom she entrusts her Baby.
FISHWIFE
A "ghost character" invoked, perhaps spuriously, as the source of news.
FRANCISCO
Antonio's "boy" and Constantia's lute teacher, Francisco is implicated in Second Constantia's robbery of Antonio. He is overheard by Don John and Don Francisco when describing Second Constantia's fleeing and is incorrectly believed to be referring to Constantia. He is arrested along with Second Constantia and the
Bawd, but the Duke reassures Antonio that Francisco was lured into it by Second
Constantia.
FREDERIC
Don Frederic is a Spaniard studying in Bologna with his friend, Don John. He and
John have just sworn off their search for Constantia, a woman whose beauty and virtue are renowned but who cannot be found. Frederic finds a woman (Constantia, but he doesn't know this) who begs his help to hide. She then further asks him to defend a man who is about to be ambushed, which he also agrees to do.
Instead, he finds John, who has just defended a man in such a situation, and they return to their lodgings. When Gillian accuses Frederic of having a woman in his lodgings, he finally acknowledges this but denies that it is for immoral purposes and entrusts Constantia to Gillian. He goes with John and Petruccio to deliver the challenge to the Duke, and helps reassure the Duke and Petruccio that Constantia is safe. Frederic and John overhear Francisco accusing Constantia of being false and fleeing with a stranger; they accuse each other of being the seducer. Frederic finally realizes that the way to test this is to go to their lodgings and see if she is in fact gone. As she and Gillian are both gone, Frederic and John are worried that the Duke and Petruccio will think that they were dishonorable, so they decide to investigate Peter's report that he saw their landlady at a different house. There, they see the Bawd and Second Constantia but believe that they are seeing Gillian and Constantia drinking wine, performing music, and pledging themselves to pleasure. They also see Francisco, Constantia's lute teacher. John and Petruccio bring down Second Constantia, Bawd, and Francisco, at which point Frederic and John have to apologize to the Duke for appearing to mock him by bringing him to this house; the Duke gives them until the next day to produce the real Constantia and prove their honesty. Frederic and John go to Peter Vecchio's house as a supposed conjurer who could find Constantia for them. They, with the Duke and Petruccio, who are already there, watch the "summoning" of spirits.
GENTLEMAN, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD
Three gentlemen who agree to help defend the Duke against Petruccio and his men. They arrive at the first encounter in time to help drive off Petruccio and his followers and generally supports the Duke.
GILLIAN
Don John and Don Frederic's landlady is known for her lecturing them on their behavior and for her fondness for alcohol. She agrees to foster the Baby that
John brings and is entrusted by Frederic with Constantia while they deliver the challenge. In their absence, she criticizes John and Frederic to Constantia, then takes Constantia and the Baby to her relative, Peter Vecchio's, where they all appear in a false summoning as spirits representing themselves. She explains that this was in revenge on John and Frederic for their disrespectful jokes at her expense.
HERCULES
A "ghost character," referred to by Don John as an epitome of sexual endurance.
HERNANDO DE ALVARA
A "ghost character." A mutual friend of Don John and Petruccio who sends Petruccio a letter of introduction to Don John.
JOHN
Don John is a Spaniard studying in Bologna with his friend, Don Frederic.
Although he pretends to lead a very healthy lifestyle, evidence emerges that he is in fact a frequent client of prostitutes. He and Frederic have just sworn off their search for Constantia, a woman whose beauty and virtue are renowned but who cannot be found. At night, John sees a lit house standing open and worries that something might be wrong; when he goes to investigate, a Woman mistakes him for a Signior Fabritio, gives him a bundle (which he hopes is full of jewels) and departs suddenly. As John soon discovers, the bundle is not treasure but a baby boy, which he takes to Gillian and begs her to foster. While searching for
Frederic, he finds the Duke beset by Petruccio, Antonio, and the Duke's two gentlemen and defends the Duke. They return to their lodgings, where Petruccio arrives looking for John because he has letters of recommendation from a mutual friend. After hearing Petruccio's story, John agrees to deliver a challenge from Petruccio to the Duke. John also discovers that the woman is in fact Constantia, the woman for whom they had been searching, although it appears that her honor is not as great as reported. John goes, accompanied by Frederic and Petruccio, to deliver Petruccio's challenge to the Duke. He accuses the Duke of a breach of honor in regard to Constantia, but when the Duke denies the dishonor, explaining that he was secretly contracted in marriage to her, John reconciles the Duke with Petruccio. He and Frederic overhear Francisco accusing Constantia of being false and fleeing with a stranger; John and Francisco accuse each other of being the seducer. Frederic finally realizes that the way to test this is to go to their lodgings and see if she is in fact gone. As she and Gillian are both gone, John and Frederic are worried that the Duke and Petruccio will think that they were dishonorable and determine to investigate Peter's report that he saw their landlady at a different house. There, they see the Bawd and Second Constantia but believe that they are seeing Gillian and Constantia drinking wine, performing music, and pledging themselves to pleasure. They also see Francisco, Constantia's lute teacher. John and Petruccio bring down Second Constantia, Bawd, and Francisco, at which point John and Frederic have to apologize to the Duke for appearing to mock him by bringing him to this house; the Duke gives them until the next day to produce the real Constantia and prove their honesty.
John accompanies Frederic to Peter Vecchio's house as a supposed conjurer who could find Constantia for them, despite John's skepticism. They, with the Duke and Petruccio, watch the "summoning." Don John volunteers to appear as a diabolical spirit in a "summoning" for Antonio. In this role he says that he is the one who wounded Antonio and is hit before Petruccio and the Duke can stop Antonio.
MUSICIANS
Along with Rowland, they provide music at Surgeon's for Antonio.
OFFICER
A non-speaking character. Arrests Bawd, Second Constantia, and Francisco at Petruccio's instigation.
PETER
Peter is Don Frederic's servant. He and Anthony are glad that their masters have given up the search for the mysterious Constantia. Later, he mistakenly leads the group to the Bawd's house, thinking he saw Gillian there.
PETER VECCHIO
Peter Vecchio is believed to be a conjurer but actually teaches grammar and music to children. He prepares a "summoning," later revealed to be a simple dramatic performance, for the Duke, Petruccio, John, and Frederic, to reveal where Constantia is. His knowledge of the situation and ability to produce Constantia, Gillian, and the Baby come from the fact that he is a relative of
Gillian's and she brought Constantia and the Baby to him. He prepares a second "summoning" for Antonio regarding Second Constantia.
PETER VECCHIO'S SERVANT
Serves Peter Vecchio at his house.
PETER VECCHIO'S STUDENTS
Non-speaking characters. Appear as spirits in the "summoning."
PETRUCCIO
Petruccio is in pursuit of the Duke, whom he believes to have seduced and abandoned his sister, Constantia. He and his followers (Antonio, and First and
Second Gentlemen) attempt to ambush the Duke, but John finds the Duke beset and fights on his side, wounding Antonio. Petruccio then goes to find John, for whom he has a letter of introduction from a mutual friend. He explains the situation from his point of view and asks Don John to deliver a challenge to the Duke, an assignment which Don John accepts. They go together, and John is able to reconcile Petruccio and the Duke by revealing that the Duke was secretly married to Constantia. Petruccio is dismayed that she is not still at their lodgings. He arrests Second Constantia, her Bawd, and Francisco at the Bawd's house, then goes with the Duke to Peter Vecchio's in the hope that Peter Vecchio, as a conjurer, would be able to tell them where Constantia is. He is happy to find his sister there and offers to help reunite Antonio and Second Constantia.
PETRUCCIO'S GENTLEMAN, FIRST AND SECOND
Petruccio's Gentlemen try to encourage Petruccio and Antonio to be moderate in their desire for revenge against the Duke, but ultimately agree to side with
Petruccio, accompany him on his ambush against the Duke and generally support him.
PETRUCCIO'S MAN
A "ghost character," possibly one of Petruccio's three gentlemen; he brings a message to John from Petruccio.
ROWLAND
A non-speaking character, possibly a singer. Along with Musicians, provides the song "John Dorrie" at the Surgeon's for Antonio.
SECOND CONSTANTIA
Second Constantia is in fact a prostitute and Antonio's lover, who, along with Francisco, robs Antonio's house and goes to the Bawd when she believes Antonio is going to die from the wound John gave him. She is arrested by Petruccio and put in the custody of an Officer, along with the Bawd and Francisco. At the end,
Petruccio claims to Antonio that Second Constantia has been whipped, but Antonio so clearly displays affection for her that they propose to reform her.
SERVANT
Petruccio's servant is told to hold the horses while the challenge is delivered.
SURGEON
Performs surgery on Antonio to close his wounds and gives medical advice.
WOMAN
A servant to Constantia, the Woman mistakes John for Fabritio and gives the Baby to him.