Lafeu
is a fiery character. He is
enraged with the courtiers when Helena is introduced and takes
particular exception to Parolles. Feu
is French for fire and for this play set in France Shakespeare giving
this fiery character a name that contains the word feu for fire is surely no accident.
Lefeu would be more accurate
given that feu is masculine,
as is the character, but worthy of consideration nonetheless.
Parolles
is a verbose, bragging
boaster who says a lot but can not match his words with deeds. Paroles is French for "words".
As You Like
It
Silvius
is a shepherd and his name
echoes the word silvan that
means idylically rural or rustic.
Cymbeline
Cloten
is a base, crass fool,
aptly named as a clot. Cloten is also killed by decapitation and
Arviragus says "I'd let a parish of such Cloten's blood" that provides
a further reference to his name via a blood clot.
Leonatus
is a character who is compared
to a young lion: "Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; The fit and apt
construction of thy name". Shakespeare explicitly points out in the
verse that this character's name via Leo (Latin for lion) and Natus (Latin for born) shows that he is born as a
lion,
hence courageous and strong.
Richard du
Champ / Fidele
Imogen adopts the name of
Fidele while in disguise as a man. She also says that her master,
whilst in this disguise, is Richard du Champ. Richard du Champ is
French for Richard
Field (1561-1624) who was a native of Stratford-upon-Avon and three
years Shakespeare's senior. He was the son of Henry Field who was a
Stratford tanner whose goods were evaluated by Shakespeare's father, a
glovemaker, in 1592. Richard Field moved to London in 1579 and became a
printer printing Shakespeare's Venus
and Adonis in 1593, The Rape
of Lucrece in 1594 and Love's
Martyr in 1601 that includes Shakespeare's The Phoenix and the Turtle. The
French pun on Richard Field of Stratford's name is further augmented by
a Latin pun on his name in Fidele, which is of course an anagram of
"Field". In addition, Fidele's occupation is as a page to Richard du
Champ, "page" being a further obvious printing pun on Richard Field's
occupation. We know that Richard Field was prone to this type of
punning on his own name himself as he printed several works between
1596 and 1600 by the Italian Cipriano de Valera, including Dos tratados, del Papa y de la Missa under
the name "Ricardo del Campo", which is of course Italian for "Richard
Field".
Love's
Labours Lost
Dull
is an ignorant,
unimaginative constable aptly named as dull.
Moth
is referred to as "little"
and an "imp", hence his name.
Henry V
Pistol
tells Henry V his name who
responds "It sorts well with your fierceness", so evidently an apposite
name for the character.
2 Henry VI
Basimecu
is referred to by Cade as
the dauphin of France. His personality is alluded to by his name which
is a pun on the French phrase baise
mon cul, meaning "kiss my ass".
Measure for
Measure
Abhorson
is an executioner, an abhorrent
occupation, hence fittingly named, especially when coupled with the
insinuation that he is a "whore's son".
Angelo
is a treacherous and
corrupt deputy to the Duke who abuses his power to try to gain
Isabella's favours. Ironically named then as an angel.
Elbow and Froth
respectively a simple
constable and a fool, fittingly given frivolous names.
Francisca
is a nun, named in
reference to the Franciscan nuns, part of the order founded by St.
Francis of Assisi.
Mistress
Overdone
is the keeper of a brothel
and judging by her surname is way past her prime.
The
Merchant of Venice
The Prince of Arragon
is an arrogant suitor to Portia
who chooses the casket that contains "the portrait of a blinking
idiot". Arragon is excessively conscious of his social position, and
insists that he is different from other men, particularly commoners: he
will not “jump with common spirits” nor “rank me with the barbarous
multitudes”. He meditates on the subject of nobility who have “the
stamp of merit” and are “the true seed of honour”, deploring the fact
that “low peasantry”, who are “the chaff and ruin of the times”, can be
found wearing “undeserved dignity”. His arrogance is suitably referred
to in his title.
Launcelot Gobbo
is a jester whose wit is
centred on the misuse and mispronunciation of words, hence his name
includes use of the slang word for mouth: gob.
The Merry
Wives of Windsor
Slender
is a simpleton, evidently
slender in intelligence.
Simple
is a servant who is simple by
name and nature.
A Midsummer
Night's Dream
Flute
is
a bellows mender and a flute is a nozzle on a bellows that expels the
air.
Moth
is the smallest of the fairies,
evidently the size of a moth.
Quince
is a carpenter. The quince is a
type of tree, hence a wood connection there, and quines are types of
wood wedges used by carpenters.
Snout
is a tinker whose tasks included
mending the snouts of kettles and teapots.
Snug
is a joiner, and any
competent joiner makes a snug, or tight-fitting, wood joint.
Starveling
is a tailor who are
sterotypically depicted as particularly thin, hence the result of
starving.
Much Ado
about Nothing
Beatrice
is
the lover of Benedict. Her name means "she who blesses" in its original
form: Beatrix. Apt as she becomes Benedick's lover.
Benedict
is
the lover of Beatrice and aptly named as his name means
"blessed". Hence the blessed connection with
Beatrice. There may also be reference to "bene" and "dictus" meaning
"speak well" as an ironical comment on the verbal clashes that Benedick
has with Beatrice.
Borachio
is
a chief lieutenant whose name comes from the Spanish borrachio meaning "drunkard",
echoing the character's manner.
Othello
Desdemona
is
Othello's wife who is wrongly demonised as an adulterer by Iago.
Perhaps reflected in her name: Desdemona.
Iago
is
Othello's evil and duplicitous aide. Iago is the patron saint of Spain,
hence Santiago, and Spain was
England's greatest enemy in Elizabethan times. The choice of name would
have created instant detest with the Elizabethan audience. His name may
also reflect the egotistocal nature of Iago in his pursuit, at everyone
else's cost, of what pleases him. Hence, perhaps, the convergence of
"I" and "ego" in Iago.
Othello
is
a general and husband of Desdemona. He is put through hellish turmoil
by Iago in thinking his wife has made him a cuckold which eventually
leads to Othello murdering her. The word "hell" is repeated many times
by several of the characters and may be echoed in Othello's name: Othello.
Romeo
& Juliet
Benvolio
is
a gentle-natured character whose name is Italian for "good will".
The Taming
of the Shrew
Cambio
is the name adopted by Lucentio
when he adopts the disguise of a school master. Cambio is Italian for
"change" punning on Lucentio's change in character and name. In
case of any doubt Shakespeare even has Bianca (whom Lucentio has fallen
in love with) say "Cambio is changed
into Lucentio" when Lucentio's real identity is revealed and has
him replying "Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's love Made me exchange my state with Tranio".
The Tempest
Caliban
is
a sub-human slave to Prospero. His name being an anagram of "canibal",
an Elizabethan spelling of "cannibal".
Ferdinand
is
the prince whom Miranda falls in love with. He arrives on the magic
island due to a shipwreck and his name is Spanish from old German
meaning
"bold voyager".
Miranda
is
Prospero's daughter whose name is derived from the Latin mirandus meaning "wonderful".
Timon of
Athens
Phrynia
is a mistress to Alcibiadesis,
her name taken from Phryne, a prostitute of Ancient Greece.
Twelfth
Night
Malvolio
is
a mean-spirited steward to Olivia whose name is Italian for "ill will",
as opposed to Benvolio's "good will".
The
Winter's Tale
Perdita
is
the lost daughter of Leontes and Hermione, her name from the Italian perdita meaning "loss".
