The Two Noble Kinsmen · Character

Wooer

A young man who loves the Gaoler's daughter and refuses to abandon her even as her mind slips away.

supporting

Also known as Wooer O, Wooer Ay

First appearance: Scene I

As a supporting figure in The Two Noble Kinsmen, Wooer is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Seeks to marry the Gaoler's Daughter and agrees to the Gaoler's terms.

In the storyScene IOpen this moment free

See Wooer in Scene I Book page

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He is the Gaoler's daughter's persistent suitor, a figure of ordinary devotion set against the play's grand passions. Where her love for Palamon is obsessive and self-destroying, his love for her is patient and practical, and the contrast exposes how differently desire can behave. He matters because his loyalty keeps the subplot tethered to human decency while the main plot spirals toward ritual combat.

Continue beside the text

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

See Wooer in Scene I

Character Web

10 connections

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

Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Social
Other

Character groups

Courtly and Romantic Figures
Supporting and Theban Figures
Protagonist

+5 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
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional and psychological peak of the cousins' riv…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Doctor
professional · positive
Doctor advises the Wooer on how to cure the Daughter's madness by pretending to be… How this plays out →
Palamon
rivalry · negative
Gaoler
social · positive
Gaoler
social · positive
Doctor
professional · positive
Doctor advises the Wooer on how to cure the Daughter's madness by pretending to be… How this plays out →
Gaoler
social · positive
Palamon
rivalry · negative

Doctor
Doctor advises the Wooer on how to cure the Daughter's madness by pretending to be Palamon.
Palamon
Wooer is the man the Daughter's father wants her to marry, creating a romantic rivalry with Palamon.
Gaoler
Gaoler favors the Wooer as a suitable husband for his daughter and arranges their match.
Gaoler
Gaoler favors the Wooer as a suitable husband for his daughter and arranges their match.
Doctor
Doctor advises the Wooer on how to cure the Daughter's madness by pretending to be Palamon.
Gaoler
Gaoler favors the Wooer as a suitable husband for his daughter and arranges their match.
Palamon
Wooer is the man the Daughter's father wants her to marry, creating a romantic rivalry with Palamon.

Relationship notes

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

See Wooer in Scene I

In the story

Wooer appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Scene I
Seeks to marry the Gaoler's Daughter and agrees to the Gaoler's terms.
Scene I
Reports the daughter's madness after finding her by the lake, singing and making flower rings.
Scene III
The Gaoler's friend who once hoped to marry the Daughter; he is instructed to pretend to be Palamon to cure her madness.
Scene II
Disguised as Palamon, he follows the Doctor's advice, engages with the Daughter's fantasies, and agrees to marry and sleep with her.

Chapter companion notes

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

See Wooer in Scene I