Michael Drayton,
Richard Hathaway, Anthony Munday,
and Robert Wilson

[Shakespeare Apocrypha]

1 SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE

16 October 1599
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a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ACTON, SIR ROGER
Along with Beverley, Bourne and Murley, all "friends of Wycliff, and foes of Rome", discusses the best plan for the burgeoning movement. They agree to meet with Oldcastle and several thousand like-minded rebels the following Friday for an uprising. Along with Beverley and Murley, he is captured at Tothill Fields. In interrogation he implicates Oldcastle in the rebellion, but then recants, admitting that his knowledge is based solely on rumor. King Harry orders his execution.

ALEMAN
Inadvertently reveals to Harpool that Sir John, the Parson of Wrotham, meets with a prostitute in his lodging.

BAILIFF of HEREFORD
Attempts to break up the fight between Herbert and Powis. He is knocked to the ground.

BEVERLEY
He agrees with Acton, Bourne and Murley to meet the following Friday at Tothill Fields, where they are captured. He pleads for clemency, arguing that he did not mean harm to the king, just reformation in religion, but he is ordered executed.

BISHOP of ROCHESTER.
He complains of Protestants who meet secretly and plot against the Church and the King. He brings news to Sir John and the Bishop of the death of Herbert. Later he convinces the King of the necessity of calling Sir John Oldcastle to the Arches, an ecclesiastical court, to answer accusations of heresy. Not knowing that the king has cleared Oldcastle of wrongdoing, he re-arrests him and confiscates his belongings. After being forced to deal with the confused arrests at St. Albans, he returns to London.

BOURNE
With Acton, Beverley and Murley, he discusses plans for organizing the Protestant movement.

BUTLER
Oldcastle's servant, he discovers the King as he is about to fight Wrotham over the stolen gold, and reveals to him the true identity of the King.

COBHAM, LADY
Worries that her husband, John Oldcastle, is not well and is not spending enough time at home.

CONSTABLE
Along with Harpool, he discovers that Wrotham keeps a prostitute at the lodging of the Aleman.

EARL of CAMBRIDGE
He believes that because of his marriage to the only lawful heir to Roger Mortimer, he is more entitled to the crown than the present King Harry (Henry V) and develops a plan to usurp the throne.

CHARTRES
A French ambassador, he agrees to aid Gray, Scroop and Cambridge in their quest to make Cambridge king of England.

CLUB
A servant at the Bell Inn. He has his clothing stolen by Sir John Oldcastle. He is forced to wear John Oldcastle's clothes, and as a result, he and Kate are arrested for heresy by the Mayor of Albany.

CONSTABLE of ST. ALBANS
He assists the Mayor and the Officer of the Watch in their search for Harpool and Oldcastle.

CROMER
A Sheriff, he helps the Bishop arrest John Oldcastle but refuses to also arrest Lady Cobham.

DAVY
A servant of Powis, he fights and argues with the Herbert faction.

DICK
A rebel under the command of Murley.

DOLL
She admits to having a relationship with Wrotham. She consistently chastises Wrotham for being too jealous, and complains that they do not have enough money.

GOUGH
A servant of Herbert, he attempts to help the injured Herbert.

GRAY, SIR THOMAS
Agrees with Cambridge in his claim to the throne, and vows to help execute the King.

HARPOOL
He angrily dismisses the beggars and old man who come to his door, and later rebukes the Sumner. Upon hearing the business of the Sumner, plies him with drink and tricks him into forgetting the summons. Confronts Wrotham about his relationship with the prostitute Doll and, after a heated debated, befriends him. He attempts to prevent the Bishop from arresting Oldcastle, but fails, but he does manage to help Oldcastle escape from the Bishop once they arrive at the Tower. While sleeping in the Bell Inn's barn he is robbed of his clothes by the Irishman, and is himself arrested for the charge of murder while he is wearing the Irishman's clothes. Upon the confession of the Irishman, and the testimony of Wrotham, he is freed, along with the Oldcastles.

HERBERT, LORD
He is injured in the play's opening moments in a fight with Powis' faction. Later, news arrives to the Bishop of Rochester that he died of his injuries.

HUNTINGTON
He tells the King of the conspiracies of Acton and his crew. Plays dice with the disguised King at Tothill Fields, winning back the money stolen by John.

IRISHMAN
He murders his master, the young Richarad Lee, and is caught by Wrotham robbing his master's corpse. He is then robbed by Wrotham. He seeks shelter and food from the Host of the Bell Inn, who feeds him and puts him up for the night in his barn, which he ends up sharing with Harpool. During the night the Irishman steals Harpool's clothes and as a result is arrested by the Mayor and Constable of St. Albans on the charge of heresy. He confesses to the murder of Richard Lee and in turn sets up the acquittal of the Oldcastles.

JOHN, SIR
The parson of Wrotham. Calls members of the growing Protestant movement heretics, rebels and thieves. Reveals to the Bishop that Oldcastle is a key player in the movement. Reveals that he keeps a prostitute named Doll, and after admitting the fact to Harpool, he befriends Harpool. Out of money to support himself and Doll, in a moment of desperation he mistakenly attempts to rob the disguised King. Despite his promise to the King, he soon finds himself again in need of money and robs the Irishman, who is himself robbing his dead master. At the end of the play, he helps clarify the confusion of mistaken identities by pointing out that he witnessed the Irishman murder Richard Lee, not the disguised Oldcastle. He again promises to reform and is freed by the Justice of Hertford.

JAILER of HERTFORD
He escorts the Oldcastles and Harpool to court.

JUDGE of HERTFORD, FIRST
He is left in charge by the Bishop of prosecuting Oldcastle, the Irishman and Harpool, all on false and mistaken charges. He hears the testimony of Wrotham and sentences the Irishman to death and then frees Harpool and the Oldcastles, and pardons John Wrotham.

JUDGES of HEREFORD, TWO
They order the arrest of Davy, Gough and Owen.

HARRY, KING (HENRY V)
Angered by the refusal of the clergy to lend money to his war in France, he acknowledges their recent generosity. Agrees to the Bishop's desire for an ecclesiastical trial of Oldcastle, Lord Cobham. At the trial he warns Oldcastle that sedition will not be tolerated, and at Oldcastle's request, he pardons Powis. Immediately after freeing Oldcastle, Harry is told by Acton that Oldcastle is the head of the conspirators. In disguise, he travels to Tothill Fields to confront the gathering conspirators. He is robbed by Wrotham, but he wins back his money when Wrotham returns the next day to play a game of dice. He initially orders Wrotham hanged, but then forgives him and sets him free. Likewise, he accuses Oldcastle of conspiracy, but then apologizes when no evidence is provided. He orders the hanging of Acton, Beverly and Murley. He then discovers the plot of Scroop, Cambridge and Gray, and orders them executed.

HOST
Host of the Bell Inn. He gives food and shelter to the Irishman and to Harpool and Lord and Lady Oldcastle.

KATE
A servant at the Bell Inn, she has her clothing stolen by Lady Oldcastle. She is forced to wear Lady Oldcastle's clothes, and as a result, she and Club are arrested for heresy by the Mayor of Albany.

LEE, SIR RICHARD
While searching for the murderer of his son, he stumbles across the Oldcastles, who have fallen asleep after fleeing from St. Albans. He accuses them of murdering his son and has them arrested.

LIEUTENANT of the TOWER.
He mistakenly allows Harpool to escape with Oldcastle.

MAYOR of HEREFORD
Along with the Sheriff and Bailiff of Hereford, he attempts to break up the fight between the Powis and Herbert factions.

MAYOR of ST. ALBANS
He searches for the escaped Harpool and Oldcastle when he discovers the Irishman, who is dressed in Harpool's clothes, and arrests him for heresy. Later he arrests Harpool for the murder of the young Richard Lee since Harpool is now wearing the Irishman's clothes. He then mistakenly arrests Club and Kate, assuming them to be Lady and Lord Oldcastle.

MURLEY
A brewer, he discusses with Acton the best plan for strengthening the Protestant faction. Agrees to meet the following Friday with fellow Protestants from all over the kingdom. Despite his hope that his participation in the rebellion will make him a knight, he is captured at Tothill Fields and executed.

OFFICER of the WATCH
He assists in the search for Harpool and Oldcastle.

OLDCASTLE, SIR JOHN, LORD COBHAM.
He receives the disguised Powis to his home. He is called before the ecclesiastical court, where he refrains from swearing an oath to Rome but convinces the King that he is not a threat to the King's rule. He convinces King Harry to pardon Powis. After being approached by Scroop and Cambridge and solicited to join their cause, he vows to tell the King about their conspiracy. He is accused by the captured rebels of participating in the rebellion, but is acquitted when the rebels acknowledge that they have never actually met Oldcastle. With the help of Harpool, he escapes from the Bishop at the Tower of London. To escape the Mayor and Constable of Albany, he and his wife disguise themselves as servants of the Bell Inn. After being accused by the senior Richard Lee of murdering the young Richard Lee, who finds Oldcastle asleep near the body of his son, he is freed when Wrothman points out that the real murderer is the Irishman. He and his wife are reunited with Powis in the play's concluding lines.

OLD MAN
Begs money from Harpool, who angrily dismisses him.

OSTLER of the BELL.
A servant at the Bell Inn.

OWEN
A servant of Powis, he fights and argues with the Herbert faction.

POWIS, LADY
She fears for the safety of her husband.

POWIS, LORD
He and his servants fight and argue with Herbert and his servants. After Herbert is injured Powis runs away and goes to Oldcastle's home, disguised as a beggar. He is eventually arrested and pardoned by the King at Oldcastle's request. While traveling to Wales, he is reunited with Oldcastle when he stumbles across Oldcastle's trial and acquittal in St. Albans.

ROBIN
A servant at the Bell Inn.

SCROOP, LORD
He agrees with Cambridge in his claim to the throne and vows to persuade Oldcastle to join their cause. He plans to poison the King, but his plans are overheard by the King.

SERGEANT of HEREFORD
Along with the Sheriff, Bailiff and Mayor of Hereford, he attempts to restore order in aftermath of a skirmish between the factions of Powis and Herbert.

SERVINGMEN of BISHOP, THREE
They help deliver Oldcastle to the Tower of London; they are defeated by Harpool and allow Oldcastle to escape.

SERVINGMEN of RICHARD LEE, TWO
They discover the sleeping Oldcastles and the nearby body of young Richard Lee.

SHERIFF of HEREFORD
He attempts to break up a fight between Lords Herbert and Powis. Later he announces an edict from the King forbidding public quarrels and the wearing of weapons.

SOLDIERS, THREE
They enforce the King's order against public gatherings.

SUFFOLK
He sides with the Bishop of Rochester and Sir John, Parson of Wrotham against the heretical Protestants. Later he complains to the King that Oldcastle is behind the Protestant uprisings.

SUMNER
He attempts to serve notice to Sir John Oldcastle from the Bishop of Rochester; however, he is tricked by him and leaves without doing so. During the Bishop's arrest of Oldcastle, he finds what he thinks are heretical books.

TOM
A rebel under the command of Murley.

WARDEN, LORD
He aids Cromer in arresting John Oldcastle and driving Lady Cobham from her home.

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