Aesop's Fables · Character

The Old Man

An elderly human who calls upon Death to end his suffering.

minor

Also known as An Old Man, Man

The Old Man's tie to The Doctor is one of the pressures that moves Aesop's Fables—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

An older dog who rebukes the younger dog for mistaking the bell as a reward.

In the storyThe Mischievous DogOpen this moment free

See The Old Man in The Mischievous Dog Book page

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With The Doctor (professional): The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing medical care. With The Farmer (social): The Farmer and the Old Man are neighbors or acquaintances…

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The fuller portrait of The Old Man sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See The Old Man in The Old Man and Death

Character Web

52 connections

A slice of how The Old Man sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Social
Psychological
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Moral Archetypes and Victims

+47 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the victor Cock, swollen with pride after his triumph, is sud…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

The Doctor
professional · positive
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing… How this plays out →
The Farmer
social · positive
The Dog
friendship · positive
Jupiter
psychological · ambivalent
The Lion
rivalry · negative
The Farmer
social · positive
The Doctor
professional · positive
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing… How this plays out →
The Lion
rivalry · negative
The Doctor
professional · positive
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing… How this plays out →
Jupiter
psychological · ambivalent

The Doctor
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing medical care.
The Farmer
The Farmer and the Old Man are neighbors or acquaintances who interact regularly, possibly sharing rural life.
The Dog
The Dog is a loyal companion to the Old Man, providing protection and friendship.
Jupiter
Jupiter (king of gods) interacts with the Old Man as a figure of fate or judgment, often testing or punishing human folly.
The Lion
The Lion and the Old Man represent the clash between wild nature and human civilization, often ending in the man's defeat or lesson.
The Farmer
The Farmer and the Old Man are neighbors or acquaintances who interact regularly, possibly sharing rural life.
The Doctor
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing medical care.
The Lion
The Lion and the Old Man represent the clash between wild nature and human civilization, often ending in the man's defeat or lesson.
The Doctor
The Doctor likely treats the Old Man's ailments, with frequent visits suggesting ongoing medical care.
Jupiter
Jupiter (king of gods) interacts with the Old Man as a figure of fate or judgment, often testing or punishing human folly.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See The Old Man in The Old Man and Death

In the story

The Old Man appears across 18 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Mischievous Dog
An older dog who rebukes the younger dog for mistaking the bell as a reward.
The Old Woman and the Doctor
The Old Woman, nearly blind, makes a conditional agreement with the Doctor and later outwits him in court.
Father and Sons
The father who uses the bundle of sticks to teach his sons a lesson about unity.
The Traveller and His Dog
The Traveller is impatient and mistakenly believes the Dog is delaying the journey.
The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea
The protagonist who survives a shipwreck and blames the Sea for its treachery.
The Man and the Image
The poor man who prays to the wooden image and later destroys it in anger, finding gold inside.
The Blackamoor
The master who buys the Ethiopian slave and attempts to change his skin color through scrubbing.
The Man and the Satyr
The man blows on his hands to warm them and on his porridge to cool it, demonstrating contradictory behavior.
The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar
The old woman discovers the empty wine-jar and savors its remaining fragrance.
The Sick Man and the Doctor
The patient, initially trusting, eventually realizes the doctor's reassurances are meaningless as his condition deteriorates.
The Man and His Two Sweethearts
A middle-aged man with greying hair who is caught between the conflicting desires of his two sweethearts.
Brother and Sister
The father who wisely counsels his children on how to interpret their reflections.
The Bald Huntsman
The bald huntsman who loses his wig and responds with wit.
The Father and His Daughters
The father who visits his two daughters and recognizes the impossibility of satisfying both their conflicting wishes.
The Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog
Represents the Man who shelters the animals and receives the divided gifts of life.
The Witch
The Witch is the central figure, though not explicitly named in the canonical list; the judge is the only named human character.
The Old Man and Death
An elderly laborer who, exhausted from his toil, summons Death but then recoils in fear.
The Miser
The neighbor who offers pragmatic advice to the Miser.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Old Man unlock in the free preview.

See The Old Man in The Old Man and Death

See The Old Man in The Mischievous Dog