Category Famous Characters from World Literature

Many of us know of Oliver Twist, an orphan boy with a pure heart, raised in horrible surroundings. He lives a tough life in search of security and happiness. He is a true child hero.

Oliver Twist is the hero of Dickens’s Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse and is sold off as an apprentice to a cruel undertaker. With much difficulty, he escapes from the undertaker and flees to London where he meets the ‘Artful Dodger’ who invites him to stay at the house of a ‘gentleman’.

Oliver Twist later learns that his benefactor is a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal named Fagin. Here begin the adventures of Oliver Twist.

In a series of events, he is arrested, released, chased by Fagin and his gang, finds his half-brother and at last inherits a large fortune. Dickens wrote Oliver Twist to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.

He was well-acquainted with the poverty of London and had sound understanding of the cruel treatment of orphans and London’s under-world. The novel was first published in a serialised form from 1837 to 1839.

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Have you heard of Twelfth Night? It is one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies. Let us now talk about Viola, the protagonist of the play.

Sebastian and Viola are twins who are unfortunately separated during a shipwreck off the coast of Illyria. Each of them believes the other to be dead. Viola disguises herself as a boy named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who soon becomes fond of her. Viola falls in love with Orsino, who is already in love with Lady Olivia. Orsino sends Viola disguised as Cesario- to confess his love for Olivia. Olivia falls in love with the messenger instead.

Meanwhile, Sebastian returns and in a turn of events, Orsino falls in love with Viola and Sebastian marries Olivia. A lot of comical events unfold while the true identities of the twins are exposed.

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King Lear is the tale of a king who bestows his power and land to two of his three daughters, after they declare their love for him in a flattering manner. His third daughter Cordelia however does not receive any of these privileges as she does not follow her sisters’ path in flattering the king.

It did not take much time for the king to realise the impact of his bad decision. He is treated with disrespect by the two daughters who now have his wealth and power, and he becomes furious to the point of madness. He flees his daughters’ houses along with his Fool and a trusted nobleman during a thunderstorm. The king eventually reconciles with Cordelia.

Cordelia, who married to the king of France, invades her motherland for the sake of her insane father. But she is defeated and captured along with King Lear. With a heavy heart, he dies with Cordelia’s body in his arms. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king.

Which is your favourite Christmas story? Well, there are many stories set during Christmas. The one of Ebenezer Scrooge’s Christmas holidays unfolds in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, the defining tale of Christmas in the English language.

Scrooge is an elderly miser who dislikes Christmas. The story opens on a Christmas Eve, seven years after the death of his business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge first turns down his nephew’s dinner invitation and turns away two men who came for donations. He gives his clerk a day off, only because of the social custom.

Things change when Marley’s ghost visits him that night, followed by three other spirits-Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future! The Ghost of Christmas Future terrifies Scrooge by showing him visions of his own death. The ghosts’ journey through time teaches Scrooge the error of his ways.

When he wakes up on Christmas Day he is a changed man, full of the joys of Christmas.

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All of you must have heard about Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen: she is known around, the world for her beauty and leadership.

Shakespeare has given life to this great historical figure in his play Antony and Cleopatra, a play about the relationship between Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Mark Antony, a Roman military leader and triumvir, is in love with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. However, he is already married to Fulvia, a Roman lady.

While he is in Egypt with his love, he receives a message that says his wife is dead and he must return to Rome.

There, Antony marries his fellow triumvir Octavius’s sister, in an attempt to end their political rift. But peace is short-lived and war breaks out between them again, when Antony returns to Cleopatra.

Octavius has the upper hand and most of Antony’s friends switch sides. The play ends in tragedy with both Antony and Cleopatra killing them.

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The play The Tempest is famous for many reasons. It is about Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan who had been deposed by his brother Antonio and cast away on a boat along with his daughter Miranda. This happens twelve years before the play begins.

The play is primarily set on an island. Prospero learns sorcery and uses it to protect Miranda. He also uses it to control other characters. At last, Prospero takes revenge and with his magic, he makes his brother stranded on an island before returning to Italy. The play also pictures some other characters like Ferdinand, a prince from a wrecked ship who eventually falls in love with Miranda, Caliban a savage monster figure, and Ariel, a friendly spirit.

The Tempest is one of the last plays written by Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written in 1610.