Plays · Character

Callimachus

A young man consumed by a passion for Drusiana that has the heat of Romeo in it — a desire Roswitha's century was not supposed to know how to write.

major

Also known as Callimachus, Callimachus Drusiana, Callimachus Woman

First appearance: Callimachus

See Callimachus in Callimachus Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Callimachus loves Drusiana with a feverish, absorbing intensity that the play's own preface singles out as startling for its era — the kind of love that leads to sin, madness, or self-slaughter. His pursuit collides with her Christian chastity and with the Apostle John's authority, setting up the play's central confrontation between erotic obsession and sacred restraint. He matters because his passion is the most human, most dangerous thing in the collection, and the reader watches to see whether it destroys him or is transformed.

Continue beside the text

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

See Callimachus in Callimachus

Character Web

3 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Historical and Dramatic Figures
Protagonist
Hermits and Repentant Sinners

Explore ties, sentiment, and clusters while you read

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Drusiana’s desperate plea for death to preserve her chastity and prevent another’s sin represents the emotiona…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Callimachus appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Plays of Roswitha
A lover whose passion for Drusiana leads to tragedy, echoing themes of Romeo and Juliet.
Characters
Listed as a main character in the chapter.
Callimachus
Confesses his love for Drusiana, attempts to violate her corpse, dies, is resurrected by John, and repents.
Scene I
Initiates a private conversation with his friends.
Scene II
Confesses his love for Drusiana to his friends, ignoring their warnings.
Scene III
Declares his love for Drusiana and threatens to use cunning and force to win her.
Scene IV
Referenced as the man whose love for Drusiana causes her distress, though he does not appear in this scene.
Scene VI
Desperate and willing to pay for access to Drusiana's body.
Scene VII
Approaches Drusiana's body with lust, then is struck by terror and remorse, cursing Fortunatus before dying.
Scene VIII
The man lying outside the tomb who will also be raised.
Scene IX
Raised from the dead, confesses his sinful love for Drusiana, and repents, converting to Christianity.
A Note on the Acting of the Plays
Mentioned as the subject of a modern stage production that was criticized for its childish interpretation and burlesque of Roswitha's piety.
Endnotes
His play was translated by Arthur Waley and produced by the Art Theatre.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Callimachus unlock in the free preview.

See Callimachus in Callimachus