LITERARY CHARACTERS I

Here goes a question inspired by the previous entry, WORLD BOOK DAY.

If you had to dress up as a literary character, who would you choose?

Below you can find 10 of the most popular characters in literary history:

SOURCE: Wikipedia

CAPTAIN AHAB

The captain of the Pequod in Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, a tyrannical character who dooms his crew (except Ishmael) to death driven by a monomaniacal desire to kill Moby Dick.

Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab in John Houston's film adaptation(1956)

THE HATTER

The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland  (1865) and the story's sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase "mad as a hatter" pre-dates Carroll's works and the characters the Hatter and the March Hare are initially referred to as "both mad" by the Cheshire Cat, with both first appearing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in the well-known chapter titled "A Mad Tea-Party".

The Hatter as depicted by Sir John Tennien

OPHELIA

Ophelia is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. As one of the few female characters in the play, she is used as a contrasting plot device to Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. After his father is killed by the man she loves, she becomes mad and is later reported to have killed herself before the story finishes.

Ophelia, by John Everett Millais

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Holmes is a fictional detective created by author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He first appeared in publication in 1887 and was featured in four novels and 56 short stories  A London-based "consulting detective" whose abilities border on the fantastic, Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to adopt almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases.

Statue of Sherlock Holmes in Edinburgh

ThE EVIL QUEEN

The Queen is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the German fairy tale "Snow White", recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1882. The Queen is beautiful, but narcissistic and cruel, and dabbles in witchcraft. She marries a widowed king, who has a daughter called Snow White from his first wife. The Queen envies Snow White's beauty, so attempts to have her killed, setting the story in motion.

Disney's Evil Queen from Snowhite and the Seven Dwarves (1939)

EMMA WOODHOUSE

Emma Woodhouse the protagonist of the Jane Austen’s Emma (1815). She is a beautiful, high-spirited, intelligent, and 'slightly' spoiled young woman. Although intelligent, she lacks the necessary discipline to practice or study anything in depth. She is portrayed as very compassionate to the poor, but at the same time has a strong sense of class. Her affection for and patience towards her hypochondriac father are also noteworthy. While she is in many ways mature for her age, Emma makes some serious mistakes, mainly due to her conviction that she is always right and her lack of real world experience. 

Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma in a 1996 film adaptation

FRANKENSTEIN'S CREATURE

The Creature (or monster) is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein. It was created by Victor Frankenstein in an attempt to create life from death. As depicted by Shelley, the monster is a sensitive, emotional creature whose only aim is to share his life with another sentient being like himself. The novel portrays him as intelligent and literate, having read Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, and The Sorrows of Young Werther. From the beginning the monster is rejected by everyone he meets. He realizes from the moment of his "birth" that even his own creator cannot stand be around him. Upon seeing his own reflection, he realizes that he too cannot stand to see himself. His greatest desire is to find love and acceptance, but when that desire is denied, he swears revenge on all mankind, especially his creator, Victor Frankenstein.

Boris Karloff as the Monster in a 1931 film adaptation

 COUNT DRACULA

Count Dracula is the title character and primary antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula (1897). He is described as an archetypal vampire. Some aspects of the character are inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler, who was also known as "Dracula." The character appears frequently in popular culture, from films to animated media to breakfast cereals.

Christopher Lee, one of Dracula's most popular interpreters

HESTER PRYNNE

Hester Prynne is the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter (1850).  She is portrayed as a woman condemned by her Puritan neighbors for committing adultery after being forced to marry a man older than her. She eventually becomes an angel of mercy who lives out her life as a figure of compassion in the community. 

Demi Moore as Hester Prynee in a 1995 film adaptation

MISS MARPLE

Jane Marple is a fictional character appearing in 12 of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in 20 short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. 

Joan Hickson as BBC's Miss Marple

Can you think of any other character? We’d love to hear your suggestions!