# Edward Casaubon — Middlemarch character guide > Edward Casaubon in Middlemarch by George Eliot. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mr. Casaubon, Casaubon, Poor Mr. Casaubon, the Reverend Edward Casaubon **First appearance:** 0004-i ## Snapshot A scholarly clergyman whose grand Key to All Mythologies will never be finished, he marries Dorothea Brooke and finds the happiness he annexed strangely joyless. ## Who they are Casaubon is the reverend scholar of Lowick, a man of formidable erudition and anxious timidity whose life's work, a Key to All Mythologies, swallows his days without ever nearing completion. He marries Dorothea expecting a helpmeet for his studies, yet discovers that bliss itself has become another outward requirement to fulfill, and that his young wife's ardent nature unsettles his fenced-in sensibilities. His marriage sets the novel's central question in motion: what happens when a young woman's idealism meets a husband who cannot return it? ## In the story ### [Book I: Miss Brooke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-i-miss-brooke) Mentioned as a learned but dry clergyman and scholar whom Dorothea admires from afar, seeing him as a model of intellectual and spiritual greatness. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/i) A learned clergyman expected to dine at the Grange; Dorothea holds him in high veneration and sees him as a potential mentor. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/ii) Speaks at length about his scholarly work and need for a reader; Dorothea finds him deeply interesting and compares him to Locke. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/iii) Visits Tipton and engages Dorothea in lengthy conversations about his scholarly work on mythical systems. He speaks to her as a fellow student, using Latin and Greek phrases, and shows indifference to her interest in building cottages. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned as the object of Dorothea's admiration; his pamphlets and proposal offer are central to the chapter. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/v) His letter proposing marriage is read and accepted; he later shares a joyful tête-à-tête with Dorothea, delighted by her ardor. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/vii) Agrees to teach Dorothea, but views her studies as a way to save his eyes and as a prelude to marriage, which he anticipates as a source of female tendance. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/viii) Discussed by Sir James and the Cadwalladers; defended by the Rector as a scholarly and just man, though criticized for his lack of passion and social awkwardness. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/ix) Shows Dorothea around Lowick Manor, introduces her to Will Ladislaw, and demonstrates formal courtesy. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/x) Anxious to inspect Vatican manuscripts; experiences a 'blankness of sensibility' and loneliness despite his marriage; leans on Dorothea's veneration for encouragement in his authorship. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xi) Casaubon is mentioned as a contrast to Lydgate: a wealthy, learned man who married Dorothea to adorn his life, while Lydgate is young and ambitious. ### [Book II: Old and Young](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-ii-old-and-young) Casaubon's scholarly obsessions and emotional distance become more apparent, contributing to Dorothea's unhappiness. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xix) Mentioned as Dorothea's husband and Will's second cousin; not present in the scene. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xx) Remains emotionally distant and absorbed in his studies at the Vatican; makes a stilted, formal speech to Dorothea about Rome and marriage, revealing his lack of empathy. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxi) Mr. Casaubon is absent during the visit, busy reading at the Vatican Library. He is discussed as a benefactor and scholar, but Will's remarks cast doubt on the value of his work, and he enters the room at the end of the chapter. ### [Chapter XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxii) Referenced throughout as the subject of debate; his scholarly work and generosity are discussed, though he is not present. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxviii) Returns to Lowick Manor, complains of palpitation, and is in the library giving audience to his curate Mr. Tucker. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxix) Revealed as spiritually hungry and self-conscious; he married for companionship and a helpmate, but his sensitivity and egoism cause tension with Dorothea. ### [Chapter 30](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxx) Remains offstage but is the subject of the medical discussion; his health is precarious, and he is unaware of the full extent of his danger. ### [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxiv) Coldly polite but irritated by Will's presence; struggles to repress outward signs of displeasure. ### [Chapter XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxvii) Angrily rejects Dorothea's interference in his affairs, suspects Will of improper motives, and considers how to counter Will's presence in Middlemarch. ### [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxix) Referenced as having forbidden Will from visiting Lowick, and as the subject of Dorothea's hopelessness about influencing his actions. ### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xlii) Broods over jealousy of Will Ladislaw and Dorothea's perceived judgment; decides to consult Lydgate about his health. ### [Book V: The Dead Hand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-v-the-dead-hand) Casaubon's death and the codicil to his will exert a controlling influence from beyond the grave, embodying the 'dead hand' of the past. ### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xliii) Referenced as Dorothea's husband; she fears he is concealing a change in his health and has begun a new method of arranging notes. ### [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xliv) Acquiesces to Dorothea's subscription but feels increasing distrust and loneliness. ### [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xlvi) Referenced indirectly: his prophecy that Will would lose caste is recalled, and town gossip says he has turned the cold shoulder on Ladislaw. ### [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xlvii) Sits opposite Will in church, seemingly aware of his presence; leaves immediately after the service without acknowledging him. ### [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xlviii) Shows renewed energy in his scholarly work; demands Dorothea's participation in his research; extracts a promise from her to carry out his wishes after his death. ### [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xlix) Recently deceased; his codicil is criticized as a mean and ungentlemanly action that compromises Dorothea. ### [Book VI: The Widow and the Wife](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-vi-the-widow-and-the-wife) Though deceased, Casaubon's influence lingers through his will and the codicil, affecting Dorothea's choices and relationships. ### [LXXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lxxxiii) Referenced indirectly through Dorothea's memory of his prohibition and her study of Asia Minor geography, which he had rebuked her for neglecting. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/edward_casaubon - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters