# The Curate — The War of the Worlds character guide

> The Curate in The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** curate

**First appearance:** 0016-xiii-how-i-fell-in-with-the-curate

## Who they are

A terrified clergyman who shares the narrator's hiding place and collapses into religious hysteria as the Martian catastrophe dismantles his faith and reason.

## Relationships

### [Ogilvy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/ogilvy)

_social_

Ogilvy and the Curate are both present at the initial Martian landing site, though their interactions are limited to that shared event.

### [Lord Hilton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/lord_hilton)

_social_

Lord Hilton and the Curate cross paths during the evacuation, with the Curate's religious ranting contrasting Hilton's practical concerns.

### [Miss Elphinstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/miss_elphinstone)

_social_

Miss Elphinstone encounters the Curate during the escape, finding his erratic behavior disturbing and unhelpful.

### [The Artilleryman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/the_artilleryman)

_social_

The Artilleryman and the Curate have a brief, tense meeting where the Artilleryman dismisses the Curate's religious hysteria.

### [The Martians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/the_martians)

_psychological_

The Curate becomes obsessively terrified of the Martians, viewing them as divine punishment, which drives him to madness.

### [Ogilvy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/ogilvy)

_social_

Ogilvy and the Curate are both present at the initial Martian landing site, though their interactions are limited to that shared event.

### [Lord Hilton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/lord_hilton)

_social_

Lord Hilton and the Curate cross paths during the evacuation, with the Curate's religious ranting contrasting Hilton's practical concerns.

## In the story

### [XIII: How I Fell in with the Curate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/xiii-how-i-fell-in-with-the-curate)

A fugitive from Weybridge, deeply shaken by the Martian attack, he questions God's purpose and the meaning of the catastrophe.

### [XV: What Had Happened in Surrey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/xv-what-had-happened-in-surrey)

Panics and runs at the sight of the Martians, then joins the narrator in hiding.

### [Under Foot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/i-under-foot)

Whimpering, selfish, and lethargic; he repeatedly resists action and weeps in fear, slowing their progress.

### [III: The Days of Imprisonment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/iii-the-days-of-imprisonment)

Shown as weak, weeping, and irrational; his actions exacerbate the narrator's distress and danger.

### [IV: The Death of the Curate](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/iv-the-death-of-the-curate)

Descends into madness, raving about divine punishment and threatening to shout; is struck and killed by the narrator with a meat chopper.

### [V: The Stillness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/v-the-stillness)

The narrator reflects on the curate's death during his confinement.

### [Dead London](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/viii-dead-london)

Mentioned indirectly as one of the 'two sodden creatures of despair' sharing the city with the narrator.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters/the_curate
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/characters