Can You Forgive Her? · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope.
Skim names here — open a free preview to see character cards and Character Web beside the page as you read.
Alice Vavasor
major
Also known as Alice, Miss Vavasor, Alice Vavasor, poor Alice
Alice moves through the novel as a woman of conscience who trusts her own judgment least of all, breaking with the worthy John Grey and drifting toward her restless cousin George. Her visits to Matching Priory and her friendship with Lady Glencora expose her to a world of political ambition and marital compromise she never quite fits. Her long hesitation over whom to marry drives the book's central question of whether a good woman can forgive herself for the harm her indecision causes.
George Vavasor
major
Also known as cousin George, Mr. George Vavasor, George, Mr. Vavasor
George is the black sheep heir to a fine estate, idolized by his sister Kate and half-feared by everyone else, whose political career and courtship of Alice both run on borrowed money and borrowed hope. He speaks of love as a task he finds difficult and of his dead fiancée's fortune with unsettling candor. His volatility makes him the dangerous alternative to John Grey, and the question of what he will do when thwarted shadows the middle of the book.
John Grey
major
Also known as Mr. Grey, John, Grey, Dear John
Grey is the suitor Alice breaks with and cannot quite escape, a man whose beauty of mouth and steady good sense make her feel both loved and judged. He refuses to accept her rejection as final, treating her wavering as something to be weathered rather than obeyed. His calm persistence forces Alice to confront whether her restlessness is principle or mere pride, and his patience sets the emotional standard against which George Vavasor is measured.
Lady Glencora Palliser
major
Also known as Lady Glencora McCluskie, Glencora, Lady Glencora
Glencora is Alice's closest friend and sharpest mirror, a woman whose wild past with Burgo Fitzgerald still flickers beneath her role as a great man's wife. She mocks Plantagenet's seriousness and her own captivity in the same breath, seeing through Alice's hesitations because she recognizes her own. Her marriage becomes the novel's second study in whether love can be built on obligation, and her loyalty to Alice carries the story's emotional weight.
Plantagenet Palliser
major
Also known as Mr. Palliser, Jeffrey Palliser, Jeffrey, Palliser
Palliser is the coming man of British politics, a Chancellor of the Exchequer in waiting who trades his sword of state for the distaff when Glencora needs him. He tracks down Burgo Fitzgerald at the gaming table not to threaten but to offer money, a scene that reveals both his generosity and his inability to be anything but correct. His marriage to Glencora tests whether a man of principle can make a wife happy, and his quiet decency stands as the novel's portrait of public virtue in private life.
Kate Vavasor
supporting
Also known as Kate, Dearest Kate
Kate moves between Alice's confidences and George's ambitions, idolizing her brother so completely that she would spend her last farthing on his next election. She manages the awkward comedy of their aunt Mrs. Greenow's suitors with dry efficiency, and her letters to Alice are full of wit at others' expense. Her fierce partisanship for George makes her both a useful ally and a warning, since her faith in him exceeds anything the novel's evidence supports.
Mrs. Greenow
supporting
Also known as Aunt Greenow, Greenow, the Vavasors Mrs. Greenow
Mrs. Greenow presides over Yarmouth and later Vavasor Hall as a cheerful, commanding widow whose grief never once interferes with dinner. Her genius lies in perfect evenhandedness: she smiles on farmer Cheesacre and Captain Bellfield with such exact measure that even her maid cannot guess her preference. That balance of flirtation and control makes her a comic counterweight to Alice's agonized earnestness, and her eventual choice will ripple through the cousins' fortunes.
Mr. Cheesacre
supporting
Also known as Cheesacre, poor Cheesacre, the lamb Cheesacre
Cheesacre is a man of property who cannot fathom why property alone should not win a widow, and his courtship consists largely of enumerating his own solid virtues. When Mrs. Greenow's favor tilts toward his rival, he pivots with breathtaking speed to pursuing her niece Kate, revealing that his heart is really a ledger. His blustering pursuit of both women exposes the marriage market's crude arithmetic, and his feud with Bellfield supplies some of the novel's sharpest comedy.
Captain Bellfield
supporting
Also known as that Captain Bellfield, Bellfield, Poor Bellfield
Bellfield lives on credit, charm, and the generosity of the very men he has fleeced, and his suit of Mrs. Greenow is frankly a rescue mission. Where Cheesacre offers substance, Bellfield offers helplessness, and the widow finds the latter irresistible. His exposure by Cheesacre as a man wanted by sheriff's officers nearly ends everything, but Mrs. Greenow's brisk pragmatism—debts can be paid—keeps him in play, making him the test case for whether affection can survive a bad balance sheet.
Burgo Fitzgerald
supporting
Also known as Burgo, Burgo Fitzgerald, poor Burgo
Burgo Fitzgerald is everything a husband should not be—drunk, idle, in debt, and devastatingly attractive—and Lady Glencora knows it better than anyone. She does not deceive herself about his character; she simply cannot stop loving him, and that knowledge makes her dangerous to herself and to her husband's career. His presence in the early arc forces the question the novel keeps asking: whether passion can be reasoned away, and whether a woman's self-worth can survive the answer.
Mr. John Vavasor
supporting
Also known as Mr. Vavasor, John Vavasor, John, uncle John
Mr. Vavasor is a genial man who lends money to his nephew George with a shrug and a 'it's only lent,' never quite reckoning what those loans cost his daughter. His casual generosity—or weakness—places Alice in an awkward position, entangled with relatives she cannot fully trust. His presence in the early chapters establishes the family's tangled finances and the quiet pressures that make Alice's engagement to Mr. Grey feel less like a choice than an escape.
Lady Macleod
supporting
Also known as old Lady Macleod, Macleod, Poor Lady Macleod
Lady Macleod spends her precious London month in a cramped King Street lodging, enduring second-rate dinners among noble relatives she half-disapproves of, all for the supposed good of Alice. She never leans back in a chair, never wastes a shilling, and never misses an opportunity to remind her niece of duty. Her stern, threadbare respectability represents the older generation's claim on Alice's conscience, and her daily visits make the drawing-room a quiet battleground over what a woman owes her family.
Lady Midlothian
supporting
Also known as dear Lady Midlothian, Lady Midlothian
Lady Midlothian moves through the Palliser circle as a woman whose wealth and connections give her the confidence to interfere in other people's lives, particularly when it comes to matters of marriage and propriety. Alice Vavasor dreads her attention, fearing that Lady Midlothian will either patronize her or make a show of forgiveness, and would rather have nothing to do with her unless Mr. Grey orders otherwise. Her presence sharpens the novel's examination of how social pressure and family expectation weigh on private decisions, making her a quiet but persistent force in the early arc.
Mr. Bott
supporting
Also known as Bott, this horrid Mr. Bott, poor Mr. Bott
Mr. Bott attaches himself to Plantagenet Palliser's rising star, eager to be seen as a kingmaker and to lecture younger Members on the true location of power in the House of Commons. He grandly declares that if Lord Brock does not bring Palliser into the Cabinet, Lord Brock will not long remain himself, and he speaks of a possible Bott Ministry with something like grandeur. His blend of genuine political gossip and absurd self-importance makes him both comic and useful, a weathervane for the ambitions and absurdities of the parliamentary world that surrounds the Pallisers.
Lady Monk
supporting
Also known as Lady Monk
Lady Monk presides over her London house with the confidence of a woman who has been a great beauty and remains handsome in her advanced age, a true scion of the Fitzgeralds of Worcestershire, of whom it was said there never was one who was not beautiful and worthless. She has striven hard to bring about a marriage between her nephew Burgo and the great heiress Glencora, and is not a woman likely to pardon those who foiled her. Her watchful presence in the early social scenes keeps the old attachment between Burgo and Glencora alive as a source of tension, threatening the Palliser marriage from within the drawing-room.
Mr. Scruby
supporting
Also known as Scruby, Oh Mr. Scruby, This Mr. Scruby
Mr. Scruby manages the gritty business of George Vavasor's Chelsea election, inventing the cry 'Vote for Vavasor and the River Bank' and pestering his candidate about Father Thames and the embanking question. He refuses George's note of hand for expenses, declaring himself a family man who never runs any risks, and he has heard with accuracy all the particulars of the old Squire's will. His cautious, transactional dealings expose the financial desperation and moral shabbiness beneath George's political ambitions, making him a key instrument of the novel's early–middle arc.
Mrs. Marsham
minor
Also known as XLIII Mrs. Marsham, a Mrs. Marsham, the Marsham
A gossipy neighbor who spies on Alice and reports to Lady Midlothian.
Mr. Tombe
minor
Also known as Mr. Tombe
The family lawyer who advises Alice and Mr. Vavasor on financial matters.
Jeannette
minor
Also known as And Jeannette
Mrs. Greenow's loyal and sharp-tongued maid.
Mr. Maxwell
minor
Also known as Maxwell
A tenant farmer on the Vavasor estate, involved in the election.
Charlie Fairstairs
minor
Also known as Charlie, Charlie Fairstairs, Miss Fairstairs
A young woman who flirts with Captain Bellfield and others.
Mr. Grimes
minor
Also known as XIII Mr. Grimes, Grimes
A rough farmer who works for George Vavasor and assists in shady dealings.
Calder Jones
minor
Also known as Mr. Calder Jones, Jones, Calder, Mr. Jones
A Welsh neighbor and friend of the Vavasors, involved in local politics.
Mr. Grindley
minor
Also known as Grindley, Whereupon Mr. Grindley
A lawyer involved in the Vavasor family legal affairs.
Sir Cosmo Monk
minor
Also known as Sir Cosmo Monk, Sir Cosmo, Cosmo
Lady Monk's husband, a minor nobleman.
Duke of Omnium
minor
Also known as Omnium, The Duke, the Duke of Omnium
The elderly, wealthy Duke, head of the Palliser family.
Mrs. Conway Sparkes
minor
Also known as Mrs. Sparkes
A minor society lady who appears at parties and gatherings.
Bat Smithers
minor
Also known as Bat, Smithers
A jockey or stable hand associated with the Vavasor family.
Duke of St. Bungay
minor
Also known as The Duke, Duke, the Duke of St. Bungay
A senior politician and advisor to Plantagenet Palliser.
Mr. Levy
minor
Also known as Mr. Levy
A shady moneylender who deals with George Vavasor.
Duchess of St. Bungay
minor
Also known as the Duchess of St. Bungay, Duchess
The wife of the Duke of St. Bungay, a society hostess.
Iphy Palliser
minor
Also known as Iphy, Iphigenia Palliser, Iphigenia
Plantagenet Palliser's younger sister.
Squire Vavasor
minor
Also known as Squire Vavasor of Vavasor Hall, Vavasor Hall, Squire
The old, dying squire of Vavasor Hall, George's grandfather.
Lord Middlesex
minor
Also known as poor Lord Middlesex
A minor politician or nobleman mentioned in passing.
Miss Euphemia Palliser
minor
Also known as Miss Palliser, The other Miss Palliser, Euphemia
Plantagenet's sister, a quiet and proper young woman.
Mr. Fitzgerald
minor
Also known as Fitzgerald
Burgo's uncle, a stern and disapproving relative.
Lady Jane
minor
Also known as Jane, a Lady Jane, this Lady Jane
A minor aristocratic acquaintance of the Pallisers.
Mr. Pollock
minor
Also known as Pollock, poor Pollock
A friend or associate of George Vavasor in London.
Sir William
minor
Also known as old Sir William
A minor baronet or official mentioned in political circles.
Mr. Gogram
minor
Also known as Gogram
A messenger or clerk employed by the Pallisers.
Lord Brock
minor
Also known as Brock
A political figure and leader of the government.
Mr. Loftus Fitzhoward
minor
Also known as Mr. Fitzhoward
A minor aristocrat and relative of the Pallisers.
Mr. Magruin
minor
Also known as Magruin
A political agent or journalist involved in the election.
Arabella Vavasor
minor
Also known as Arabella
George Vavasor's sister, a minor character in the family drama.
Lady Hartletop
minor
Also known as Hartletop
A minor society figure, friend of Lady Monk.
Mrs. Jones
minor
Also known as Jones
Calder Jones's wife, a minor character in the rural scenes.
Pinkle
minor
Also known as Pinkle
A servant or groom at the Vavasor estate.
Mr. Finespun
minor
Also known as Finespun
A minor official or clerk in the Palliser household.
Joe Fairstairs
minor
Also known as Joe, Mr. Joe, the idle Joe, Mr. Fairstairs
Charlie Fairstairs's brother, a lazy young man.
Ophelia Walker
minor
Also known as Ophelia, the delicate Ophelia, Walker
A young woman courted by Joe Fairstairs.
Mrs. Green
minor
Also known as Mrs. Green
A minor character, possibly a housekeeper or neighbor.
Mr. Travers
minor
Also known as that Mr. Travers, Travers
A lawyer or businessman involved in George Vavasor's affairs.
Mrs. Walker
minor
Also known as Mrs. Walker
Ophelia Walker's mother, a minor character.
Mr. Round
minor
Also known as Mr. Round
A lawyer involved in the Palliser family legal matters.
Mrs. Bunsby
minor
Also known as Mrs. Bunsby
A minor character, possibly a landlady or servant.
Lord Hartletop
minor
Also known as Lord Hartletop
Lady Hartletop's husband, a minor nobleman.
Tufto Pearlings
minor
Also known as Pearlings
A minor dandy or society figure.
Sir Guy de Palisere
minor
Also known as Sir Guy, old Sir Guy
An ancestor of the Palliser family, mentioned in history.
Mr. Greenow
minor
Also known as Mr. Greenow
Mrs. Greenow's deceased husband, mentioned but not appearing.
Marchioness of Auld Reekie
minor
Also known as Auld Reekie, The Marchioness, the Marchioness
A Scottish relative of the Pallisers, mentioned in letters.
George Plantagenet
minor
Also known as George, Plantagenet
A historical figure referenced in the Palliser family history.
Fanny Fairstairs
minor
Also known as Fanny
Another Fairstairs sister, a minor character.
Aunt Macleod
minor
Also known as Aunt Macleod
Another of Alice's Macleod relatives, mentioned briefly.
John Applethwaite
minor
Also known as John
A minor character, possibly a tradesman or neighbor.
Mrs. Bellfield
minor
Also known as Another Mrs. Bellfield
Captain Bellfield's mother, mentioned briefly.
