Middlemarch, Volume II characters

Appears from the start

The young widow of Edward Casaubon, whose hope of assisting a great intellectual life ended in an isolating marriage. She has inherited his property but has also learned that a codicil will disinherit her if she marries Will Ladislaw, exposing her late husband's suspicion and control.

Appears from the start

An ambitious Middlemarch physician who wants to reform medical practice through scientific work. His marriage to Rosamond Vincy has brought expensive expectations he cannot comfortably meet, while his independence has limited both his income and his willingness to seek help.

Appears from the start

Lydgate's elegant wife, raised to expect refinement, comfort, and social distinction. She admires the life she imagined his profession would provide but dislikes economies and resists facts that threaten her preferred version of their marriage.

Appears from the start

Casaubon's young cousin, an artistically inclined outsider with reformist political interests. He and Dorothea have formed a strong sympathy, but Casaubon's hostility and the newly discovered codicil make any connection between them vulnerable to suspicion.

Appears from the start

The good-hearted but undisciplined son of Walter Vincy. Fred loves Mary Garth and hopes to marry her, but his debts and failure to settle on useful work have convinced her that affection alone is not enough.

Appears from the start

Caleb Garth's intelligent, plain-spoken daughter. She loves Fred Vincy but refuses to encourage him while he remains idle and dependent, insisting that he establish a useful life before asking her to share it.

Appears from the start

Mary's father, a surveyor and land agent whose delight in honest work outweighs his concern for money. His trustworthiness and practical skill make him an important guide for anyone willing to learn responsibility through labor.

Appears from the start

A wealthy banker, religious benefactor, and leading supporter of Middlemarch's new hospital. His public authority rests on an appearance of severe conscience and generosity, though details of his life before coming to the town remain obscure.

Appears from the start

Bulstrode's loyal wife and the sister of Walter Vincy. She is a conventional, affectionate woman who trusts her husband's religious seriousness and knows little about the source of his private anxieties.

Appears from the start

A clergyman, naturalist, and former suitor of Mary Garth. Farebrother's modest income and family burdens have limited his choices, but his humane judgment makes him a trusted adviser to both Fred and Mary.

Appears from the start

Dorothea's affectionate younger sister, now married to Sir James Chettam. Celia's practical, domestic outlook often makes Dorothea's moral intensity seem strange to her, but the sisters remain closely attached.

Appears from the start

Celia's husband and Dorothea's brother-in-law, a conscientious landowner who once hoped to marry Dorothea. He distrusts Will Ladislaw and sees himself as a guardian of the family's interests and reputation.

First appears in chapter 19

An abrasive, hard-drinking stranger who arrives at Stone Court and behaves as though he possesses an old claim on Bulstrode. He calls the banker by a familiar name from the past and plainly expects money for keeping what he knows to himself.