Orlando

Nicholas Greene

Nicholas Greene is a poet whom Orlando hosts and later criticizes, representing a shifting dynamic of patronage and literary rivalry.

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth becomes infatuated with the young Orlando, bestowing favors and affection with a possessive, almost maternal romantic interest.

Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine

Shelmerdine is Orlando's androgynous, adventurous husband, sharing a deep, mystical, and equal romantic bond.

Captain Bartolus

Captain Bartolus is the ship captain who transports Orlando to Constantinople, serving as a competent but distant professional figure.

King James

King James is a patron and acquaintance who enjoys Orlando's company at court, but their relationship remains formal and transactional.

Mrs. Bartholomew

Mrs. Bartholomew is a housekeeper or servant at Orlando's estate, managing domestic affairs with loyalty and efficiency.

Mr. Dupper

Mr. Dupper is a steward or secretary to Orlando, handling legal and business matters with dutiful formality.

Sasha

Sasha is a Russian princess who captivates Orlando with her wild beauty and freedom, leading to a passionate but ultimately heartbreaking affair.

Sir Nicholas

Sir Nicholas is a friend or courtier who shares a cordial, supportive relationship with Orlando over many years.

Mrs. Nelly

Mrs. Nelly is a maid or servant who attends to Orlando's personal needs, showing loyalty and familiarity.

Mr. Addison

Mr. Addison is a literary figure and acquaintance who engages with Orlando in intellectual conversation, representing the literary society of the time.

Mrs. Grimsditch

Mrs. Grimsditch is a long-serving housekeeper at Orlando's estate, embodying steadfast domestic service and maternal care.

Orlando

Protagonist of the biography, a nobleman who later becomes a woman and lives through several centuries.

Frontispiece

Depicted as a boy, the central figure of the narrative.

I

A sixteen-year-old nobleman, handsome and passionate, who practices swordplay, writes poetry, and is favored by Queen Elizabeth I.

Chapter II

Retreats into solitude after disgrace and grief, wanders his haunted house, and struggles with philosophical questions about love and truth.

III

Serves as Ambassador to Constantinople, receives a dukedom, experiences a sex change, and later lives with gipsies before returning to England.

Chapter IV

Returns to London as a woman, reflects on the influence of clothes on gender identity, and navigates society while seeking life and a lover.

Chapter V

Struggles with Victorian constraints, attempts to finish her poem, and marries Shelmerdine.

Chapter VI

Completes her poem, travels to London, and grapples with the many selves that constitute her identity.

List of Illustrations

Appears in multiple illustrations: as a boy, as Ambassador, on return to England, about 1840, and at present time.