# Celia Madden — The Damnation of Theron Ware character guide > Celia Madden in The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic. **Role:** major **Also known as:** the Lady Celia, Miss Madden, the interesting Miss Madden **First appearance:** 0001-part-i-ii ## Snapshot A rich, willful Irish-American woman who plays Chopin, collects admirers, and treats a small-town minister's awakening as her own private experiment. ## Who they are Celia Madden is the daughter of Octavius's wealthiest family, a pianist whose moods and whims are tolerated because she is beautiful and unmarried. She is drawn to Theron Ware less as a lover than as a project, and her casual kisses and confidences leave him constructing a future she has never promised. Her mixture of culture, caprice, and careless power makes her the most dangerous person he meets. ## Relationships ### [Theron Ware](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/theron_ware) _romantic_ Celia captivates Theron with her beauty, intellect, and artistic sensibilities, drawing him into a flirtatious and idealized infatuation that ultimately leads to his disillusionment. ### [Father Forbes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/father_forbes) _friendship_ Celia and Father Forbes share a close, cultured friendship based on their mutual love for art, music, and sophisticated conversation, often excluding Theron. ### [Dr. Ledsmar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/dr_ledsmar) _friendship_ Celia and Dr. Ledsmar share a bond of intellectual curiosity, though she finds his cold rationalism less appealing than Father Forbes's warmth. ### [Theron Ware](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/theron_ware) _romantic_ Celia captivates Theron with her beauty, intellect, and artistic sensibilities, drawing him into a flirtatious and idealized infatuation that ultimately leads to his disillusionment. ### [Theron Ware](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/theron_ware) _romantic_ Celia captivates Theron with her beauty, intellect, and artistic sensibilities, drawing him into a flirtatious and idealized infatuation that ultimately leads to his disillusionment. ### [Father Forbes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/father_forbes) _friendship_ Celia and Father Forbes share a close, cultured friendship based on their mutual love for art, music, and sophisticated conversation, often excluding Theron. ### [Father Forbes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/father_forbes) _friendship_ Celia and Father Forbes share a close, cultured friendship based on their mutual love for art, music, and sophisticated conversation, often excluding Theron. ### [Dr. Ledsmar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/dr_ledsmar) _friendship_ Celia and Dr. Ledsmar share a bond of intellectual curiosity, though she finds his cold rationalism less appealing than Father Forbes's warmth. ### [Dr. Ledsmar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/dr_ledsmar) _friendship_ Celia and Dr. Ledsmar share a bond of intellectual curiosity, though she finds his cold rationalism less appealing than Father Forbes's warmth. ## In the story ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-iv) Appears at the deathbed of a poor Irish laborer, reciting the Confiteor in Latin with resonant distinctness, deeply affecting Theron. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-v) Introduces herself to Theron, comments on the ceremony, and invites him to visit. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-viii) Plays the organ in the church, her music deeply affects Theron. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-ix) Described as a tall, confident, talented young woman who returned from convent school transformed; she dominates the household with her artistic and intellectual prowess, and her stepmother fears and resents her. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-i-x) Walks home with Theron, expresses disdain for Dr. Ledsmar, and seeks to understand Theron's temperament and enlist him as an ally. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-ii-xi) Mentioned only in passing as someone Theron has not seen for weeks; not directly present in the chapter. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xviii) Seen at Father Forbes' window, then encountered on the street; invites Theron to hear Chopin. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xix) Hosts Theron in her private room, plays piano, smokes a cigarette, and cares for him when he feels faint. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xx) Meets Theron at Thurston's, helps him select a piano with masterful authority, and displays a confident, worldly manner that fascinates him. ### [Chapter XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xxi) Discussed by Theron and Ledsmar. Theron is curious about her ties to Father Forbes, while Ledsmar denounces her harshly, calling her an 'abnormal sport' and suggesting she should be whipped. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xxiii) Celia introduces Theron to her brother Michael and dismisses her drunken brother's behavior, showing her family's darker side. ### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iii-xxiv) Celia articulates her philosophy of independence and aesthetic Catholicism, rejecting traditional gender roles and asserting her self-ownership. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxv) Theron fantasizes about her wealth and protection, believing she will rescue him if he faces scandal. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvi) Discussed by Theron with admiration; Forbes notes she has as much praise as is good for her. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxviii) The object of Theron's obsessive suspicions; he believes she is traveling with Father Forbes. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxix) Arrives at the Murray Hill Hotel with Father Forbes, enters via a separate side door with a porter. ### [XXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/chapters/part-iv-xxx) Celia coldly rebuffs Theron, enumerating his faults and telling him he has become a bore. She reveals that she and her friends have lost respect for him. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters/celia_madden - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_damnation_of_theron_ware_se/characters