# Gryphus — The Black Tulip character guide > Gryphus in The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Master Gryphus, old Gryphus, My good Master Gryphus, good Master Gryphus, Old Gryphus **First appearance:** 0008-ix-the-family-cell ## Snapshot The turnkey of Loewestein, a man who loves his gin, his keys, and his authority, and understands nothing softer than a locked door. ## Who they are Gryphus rules his prison with growls and blows, treating every inmate as a personal insult and every kindness as a weakness to be stamped out. He is flattered by the false Jacob, bullied by his own temper, and blind to the fact that his daughter is the one person in Loewestein who cannot be locked up. His brutality is the pressure that makes Rosa's loyalty visible, and his stupidity is the crack through which the tulip survives. ## Relationships ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _family_ Gryphus is Rosa's harsh, suspicious father who mistrusts her and treats her with cruelty, though she remains dutiful. ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _rivalry_ Gryphus, the jailer, torments and abuses Cornelius with petty cruelty, creating a hostile and antagonistic dynamic. ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _rivalry_ Gryphus, the jailer, torments and abuses Cornelius with petty cruelty, creating a hostile and antagonistic dynamic. ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _family_ Gryphus is Rosa's harsh, suspicious father who mistrusts her and treats her with cruelty, though she remains dutiful. ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _family_ Gryphus is Rosa's harsh, suspicious father who mistrusts her and treats her with cruelty, though she remains dutiful. ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _rivalry_ Gryphus, the jailer, torments and abuses Cornelius with petty cruelty, creating a hostile and antagonistic dynamic. ## In the story ### [II: The Two Brothers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/ii-the-two-brothers) The jailer who admitted John de Witt to the prison and spoke with him about the crowd outside. ### [III: The Pupil of John de Witt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/iii-the-pupil-of-john-de-witt) Initially refuses to open the prison door for the mob, but is persuaded by Rosa to hide in the secret dungeon. ### [IX: The Family Cell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/ix-the-family-cell) The jailer who locks Cornelius in the cell, mocks him about the 'family cell,' and later laughs at the De Witts' murder. ### [The Jailer's Daughter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/x-the-jailer-s-daughter) Falls and breaks his arm; after being helped by Cornelius, he remains suspicious and ungrateful, ordering Rosa to avoid the prisoners. ### [XI: Cornelius van Baerle’s Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xi-cornelius-van-baerle-s-will) Mentioned as being detained in bed due to fever from his broken arm; his keys are given to an assistant. ### [What Was Going on All This Time in the Mind of One of the Spectators](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xiii-what-was-going-on-all-this-time-in-the-mind-of-one-of-the-spectators) Gryphus is the jailer who refused Boxtel's earlier bribe and set his dog on him, showing his loyalty. ### [XIV: The Pigeons of Dort](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xiv-the-pigeons-of-dort) Rosa's father, who is becoming the jailer at Loewestein and follows Rosa up the staircase. ### [XV: The Little Grated Window](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xv-the-little-grated-window) New jailer at Loewestein, threatens Cornelius with harsh treatment and promises to kill his pigeons. ### [Master and Pupil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xvi-master-and-pupil) Mentioned as the jailer who views Cornelius as a dangerous criminal and watches him closely; his potential decision to leave Loewestein threatens Cornelius and Rosa's relationship. ### [XVII: The First Bulb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xvii-the-first-bulb) Destroys one of Cornelius's tulip bulbs in anger, accusing Cornelius of witchcraft or conspiracy. ### [Rosa's Lover](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xviii-rosa-s-lover) Remorseful after crushing the bulb, he offers Cornelius more tulip bulbs but remains unaware of Jacob's ulterior motives. ### [XIX: The Maid and the Flower](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xix-the-maid-and-the-flower) Makes routine visits to Cornelius's cell, notices his declining health, and remarks that he might soon die. ### [The Second Bulb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxi-the-second-bulb) Mentioned as the jailer whose inspection rounds provide a timing for Rosa to slip notes to Cornelius. ### [The Opening of the Flower](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxii-the-opening-of-the-flower) Mentioned as Rosa's father and the jailer; not directly present in the chapter. ### [The Rival](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxiii-the-rival) Rosa's father and the jailer, who is befriended by Boxtel with gin and becomes dead drunk, allowing Boxtel to carry out his theft. ### [The Black Tulip Changes Masters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxiv-the-black-tulip-changes-masters) Intercepts Rosa's promise to take his keys, mocks Cornelius, and threatens to report them to the Governor and Stadtholder. ### [The President Van Systens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxv-the-president-van-systens) Gryphus discovers Rosa's absence and, in a rage, threatens and abuses Cornelius. He suspects Jacob (Boxtel) has run off with Rosa. ### [The Hymn of the Flowers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxviii-the-hymn-of-the-flowers) The jailer, furious at the disappearance of Jacob and Rosa, threatens Cornelius with starvation and brandishes a stick, but is disarmed by the prisoner. ### [In Which Van Baerle, Before Leaving Loewestein, Settles Accounts with Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxix-in-which-van-baerle-before-leaving-loewestein-settles-accounts-with-gryphus) Attacks Cornelius with a knife, is disarmed and beaten, then has the protocol drawn up against Cornelius. ### [XXX: Wherein the Reader Begins to Guess the Kind of Execution That Was Awaiting Van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxx-wherein-the-reader-begins-to-guess-the-kind-of-execution-that-was-awaiting-van-baerle) Mentioned as Rosa's father, who ill-treats prisoners, especially van Baerle. ### [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xxxiii-conclusion) Reconciles with Cornelius and becomes a zealous keeper of the tulip garden. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/gryphus - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters