# Doctor Caius — The Merry Wives of Windsor character guide

> Doctor Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Master Doctor Caius, Master Caius, Caius

**First appearance:** 0004-act-i-scene-iii

## Snapshot

A hot-tempered French physician whose fractured English and dueling pride make him a comic rival for Anne Page and a hazard to everyone's patience.

## Who they are

Caius is the household master of Mistress Quickly and a suitor backed by Mistress Page, who prefers his prospects to the foolish Slender. He is brisk, imperious, and quick to take offense, treating courtship as a matter of knowing vat he has to do and dispatching it without ceremony. His foreignness and fury fuel the play's running jokes about duels and cuckoldry, and his willingness to steal a fairy in green at the midnight oak shows how many hands are pulling at Anne's future.

## Relationships

### [Anne Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/anne_page)

_romantic_

Doctor Caius is a suitor for Anne's hand, but she rejects his advances, and he is a rival to Fenton.

### [Sir John Falstaff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/sir_john_falstaff)

_rivalry_

Caius and Falstaff are comedic rivals, each pursuing Anne Page and clashing over honor and romance.

### [Master Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/master_page)

_social_

Doctor Caius is a suitor favored by Master Page for Anne, but their relationship is transactional rather than close.

### [John Rugby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/john_rugby)

_professional_

John Rugby is Doctor Caius's servant, who assists him and endures his master's temper.

### [Sir Hugh Evans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/sir_hugh_evans)

_rivalry_

Caius and Evans are rivals, initially challenging each other to a duel over honor and later competing for influence.

### [Anne Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/anne_page)

_romantic_

Doctor Caius is a suitor for Anne's hand, but she rejects his advances, and he is a rival to Fenton.

### [Anne Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/anne_page)

_romantic_

Doctor Caius is a suitor for Anne's hand, but she rejects his advances, and he is a rival to Fenton.

### [Sir John Falstaff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/sir_john_falstaff)

_rivalry_

Caius and Falstaff are comedic rivals, each pursuing Anne Page and clashing over honor and romance.

### [Master Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/master_page)

_social_

Doctor Caius is a suitor favored by Master Page for Anne, but their relationship is transactional rather than close.

### [John Rugby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/john_rugby)

_professional_

John Rugby is Doctor Caius's servant, who assists him and endures his master's temper.

### [Sir Hugh Evans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/sir_hugh_evans)

_rivalry_

Caius and Evans are rivals, initially challenging each other to a duel over honor and later competing for influence.

### [Master Page](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/master_page)

_social_

Doctor Caius is a suitor favored by Master Page for Anne, but their relationship is transactional rather than close.

## In the story

### [Scene IV: Doctor Caius's House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iv)

Discovers Simple in his closet and becomes enraged, challenging Sir Hugh to a duel.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-iii)

Eager to duel Sir Hugh Evans but diverted by the Host to woo Anne Page.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-i)

Arrives ready to fight, but is disarmed; later agrees to befriend Evans and seek revenge on the Host.

### [Scene VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-vi)

Mentioned as the suitor favored by Anne's mother for a forced marriage at the deanery.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/chapters/act-v-scene-iii)

Receives instructions from Mistress Page to take Anne by the hand and elope to the deanery.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters/doctor_caius
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_merry_wives_of_windsor_se/characters