The Alchemist · Character

Kastril

A swaggering country gentleman who has come to town to learn the noble art of quarreling and to marry off his widowed sister.

supporting

Also known as the Kastrils

First appearance: act iii

As a supporting figure in The Alchemist, Kastril is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Kastril in act iii Book page

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Kastril arrives at Lovewit's house eager to purchase lessons in swearing, gaming, and the fashionable violence of a London gallant, dragging his sister Dame Pliant along as a bargaining chip. His bluster is comic and dangerous in equal measure: he threatens to 'maul' his sister into obedience one moment and defers to Subtle's astrological pronouncements the next. His hunger to be seen as a gentleman makes him the perfect mark for the alchemists' promises of Spanish countesses and dueling instruction.

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

See Kastril in act iii

Character Web

14 connections

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

Relationship types

Professional
Social
Other

Character groups

Alchemical Con Victims
Protagonist

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This scene is the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak where all the maj…

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Relationships

Sir Epicure Mammon
professional · ambivalent
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling… How this plays out →
Face
professional · ambivalent
Subtle
professional · ambivalent
Abel Drugger
social · ambivalent
Abel Drugger
social · ambivalent
Face
professional · ambivalent
Sir Epicure Mammon
professional · ambivalent
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling… How this plays out →
Subtle
professional · ambivalent
Abel Drugger
social · ambivalent
Sir Epicure Mammon
professional · ambivalent
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling… How this plays out →

Sir Epicure Mammon
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling and to arrange a marriage.
Face
Face poses as a captain to teach Kastril how to quarrel, exploiting his aggression for the scam.
Subtle
Subtle pretends to teach Kastril the art of quarreling while fleecing him for money.
Abel Drugger
Drugger and Kastril are both clients of the alchemists, occasionally interacting as fellow dupes.
Abel Drugger
Drugger and Kastril are both clients of the alchemists, occasionally interacting as fellow dupes.
Face
Face poses as a captain to teach Kastril how to quarrel, exploiting his aggression for the scam.
Sir Epicure Mammon
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling and to arrange a marriage.
Subtle
Subtle pretends to teach Kastril the art of quarreling while fleecing him for money.
Abel Drugger
Drugger and Kastril are both clients of the alchemists, occasionally interacting as fellow dupes.
Sir Epicure Mammon
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling and to arrange a marriage.

Relationship notes

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

See Kastril in act iii