Ulysses · Character

Buck Mulligan

A plump, blaspheming medical student with gold teeth and a gift for performance, Mulligan mocks Stephen's guilt while borrowing his wit, his rent, and his thunder.

supporting

Also known as Mulligan, Malachi Mulligan, Malachi, Mercurial Malachi, Mr Mulligan, Mr Malachi Mulligan, Dr Malachi Mulligan, Dr Mulligan

First appearance: I

As a supporting figure in Ulysses, Buck Mulligan is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Performs a mock Mass while shaving, taunts Stephen about his mother's death, and displays a boisterous, irreverent personality.

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Mulligan holds court in the Martello tower, shaving, whistling, and turning the Mass into a joke, with Stephen as his favorite audience and target. He is charming, generous, and casually cruel—calling Stephen 'Kinch, the knifeblade' while angling for the credit of his ideas. His easy blasphemy and easy betrayals define the friendship Stephen must outgrow, and his presence sharpens the novel's first movement.

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See Buck Mulligan in I

Character Web

30 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Dublin social network
Extended cast and historical figures

+25 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the protagonist’s psychological breaking point: his…

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Relationships

Stephen Dedalus
friendship · ambivalent
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains… How this plays out →
Stephen Dedalus
friendship · ambivalent
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains… How this plays out →
Stephen Dedalus
friendship · ambivalent
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains… How this plays out →

Stephen Dedalus
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains and antagonizes him with his cynical wit.
Stephen Dedalus
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains and antagonizes him with his cynical wit.
Stephen Dedalus
Buck Mulligan is Stephen's irreverent, mocking friend and housemate who both entertains and antagonizes him with his cynical wit.

Relationship notes

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See Buck Mulligan in I

In the story

Buck Mulligan appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Performs a mock Mass while shaving, taunts Stephen about his mother's death, and displays a boisterous, irreverent personality.
I
Shaving on the tower, mocking Stephen, and displaying a boisterous, irreverent attitude toward death and religion.
Proteus
Mentioned in Stephen's memory as one of the 'oval equine faces' and a figure from his past.
Scylla and Charybdis
Arrives late to the library discussion, mocking Stephen's theories with his characteristic wit.
Oxen of the Sun
Whispers to Lenehan to preserve a druid silence, pointing to the stranger and the scarlet label.

Chapter companion notes

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

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