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Ulysses · Character

Stephen Dedalus

A grieving young scholar who won't pray for his dying mother, Stephen haunts the tower and the schoolroom, armed with Aristotle and a guilt he can't argue away.

major

Also known as Stephen, Dedalus, Simon Dedalus, Stephen MacKenna, Stephen Stringendo, young Stephen, Kinch, Stephen Cardinal, Stephen Stick

First appearance: I

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Stephen shares a Martello tower with the mocking Buck Mulligan and an Englishman he distrusts, playing the cold intellectual while his mother's death gnaws at him. He teaches history to boys who barely listen and trades…

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Character Web

65 connections

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BMBuck MulliganLBLeopold BloomZHZoe HigginsMBMolly BloomHAHainesSDStephen Dedalus

Relationship types

  • Friendship
  • Social
  • Psychological

Character groups

  • Dublin social network
  • Protagonist
  • Extended cast and historical figures

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • 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

Relationship notes

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See Stephen Dedalus in I

In the story

Stephen Dedalus appears across 18 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Stephen Dedalus in I
Who is Stephen Dedalus in Ulysses?