E
- Earl (title):
- Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby (hist) is a military leader who ultimately reveals his loyalty to the Richmond faction, in spite of his son being a hostage to Richard, in Richard III.
- The Earl of Douglas (hist) leads the Scottish rebel forces in Henry IV, Part 1.
- The Earl of Essex (hist) is a minor character in King John.
- The Earl of Cambridge (hist) is one of the three conspirators against the king's life (with Scroop and Grey) in Henry V.
- The Earl of Gloucester is the father of Edgar and Edmund, who has his eyes put out by the Duke of Cornwall, in King Lear.
- The Earl of Grandpre (fict?), a French leader, makes an unduly optimistic speech on the morning of Agincourt, in Henry V.
- The Earl of Huntingdon (hist) is a non-speaking follower of the king in Henry V.
- The Earl of Kent in King Lear is a follower of Lear who evades banishment by disguising himself as a servant, and calling himself Caius.
- Earl of Northumberland:
- The Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy, (hist) is an important character in Richard II, where he is Bolingbroke's chief ally, and in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, in which he leads the rebellion against his former ally, who is now king.
- The Earl of Northumberland (hist) fights for the Lancastrians in Henry VI, Part 3.
- See also Seyward in Macbeth.
- The Earl of Oxford (hist) is a staunch Lancastrian, supporting Henry in Henry VI, Part 3, and Richmond in Richard III.
- Earl of Pembroke:
- The Earl of Pembroke (hist), together with Salisbury and Bigot, fear for the life of young Arthur, and later discover his body, in King John.
- The Earl of Pembroke (hist) is a non-speaking Yorkist in Henry VI, Part 3.
- The Earl of Richmond, later King Henry VII (hist) leads the rebellion against the cruel rule of Richard III, and eventually succeeds him as king.
- Earl Rivers (hist), is the brother to Queen Elizabeth in Richard III. He is arrested and executed on the orders of Richard and Buckingham.
- Earl of Salisbury:
- The Earl of Salisbury (hist) delivers bad news to Constance, in King John.
- The Earl of Salisbury (hist) remains loyal to King Richard in Richard II.
- The Earl of Salisbury (hist) fights for the king in Henry V. He is killed by the Master Gunner's Boy in Henry VI, Part 1.
- The Earl of Salisbury (hist) supports the Yorkists in Henry VI, Part 2.
- Earl of Surrey:
- The Earl of Surrey (hist) is a supporter of the king in Henry IV, Part 2.
- The Earl of Surrey (hist) is a son-in-law of Buckingham in Henry VIII.
- Earl of Warwick:
- The Earl of Warwick (1) (hist) is a supporter of the kings in Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V.
- The Earl of Warwick (2) (hist) is an important player in the Wars of the Roses, firstly for the Yorkist party, and then for the Lancastrians. He appears in Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 2, and Henry VI, Part 3.
- Earl of Westmoreland:
- The Earl of Westmoreland (1) (hist) is one of the leaders of the royal forces in Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.
- The Earl of Westmoreland (2) (hist) fights for King Henry in Henry VI, Part 3.
- The Earl of Worcester (hist) is the brother of the Earl of Northumberland, and a leader of the rebel forces, in Henry IV, Part 1.
- Edgar is the worthy, legitimate son of Gloucester in King Lear. He disguises himself as "Poor Tom".
- Edmund:
- Edmund is the bastard son of Gloucester, and the most calculating of the villains, in King Lear.
- Edmund Mortimer (1) (hist) is a claimant to the English throne, and a leader of the rebel forces, in Henry IV, Part 1.
- Edmund Mortimer (2) (hist) explains the Yorkist claim to the crown to Richard Duke of York (1), in Henry VI, Part 1.
- Edward:
- Edward later King Edward IV (hist) is the eldest son of Richard, Duke of York (1) in Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3 - in which he becomes king. He dies in Richard III.
- Prince Edward:
- Prince Edward (hist) is the son of Henry VI, who joins his mother Queen Margaret as a leader of the Lancastrian forces in Henry VI, Part 3. He is killed by the three Yorks (Edward, George and Richard).
- Prince Edward of York later King Edward V (hist) is the eldest son of Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth. He appears in Henry VI, Part 3, and is the elder of the two princes in the tower in Richard III.
- See also Ned.
- Egeon is a merchant from Syracuse, father of the Antipholus twins in The Comedy of Errors. He is under Solinus's sentence of death unless he can pay a thousand marks' fine.
- Egeus (myth) is the father of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He wishes to have her married, against her will, to Demetrius.
- Sir Eglamour assists Silvia's escape from her father's palace, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
- Elbow is a dim-witted constable in Measure for Measure.
- Eleanor:
- Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester (hist) is the wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in Henry VI, Part 2, in which she dabbles in witchcraft with disastrous results.
- Queen Eleanor (hist) is the mother of John in King John. She takes a liking to Philip the Bastard, and recruits him to John's court.
- Queen Elizabeth (hist) is a suitor to, and then queen to, Edward IV in Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III. She is a major character in the later play, and a foil to Richard.
- Ely:
- The Bishop of Ely (1) (hist) conspires with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the opening scene of Henry V.
- The Bishop of Ely (2) (hist) ultimately shows his opposition to Richard, in Richard III.
- Emmanuel the Clerk of Chatham (fict) is murdered by Jack Cade's rebels in Henry VI, Part 2.
- Emilia:
- Emilia is the wife of Iago in Othello. She steals Desdemona's handkerchief for Iago. At the end of the play - too late to save Desdemona - she realises Iago's villainy, and exposes him, but is then murdered by him.
- Emilia is Hippolyta's sister in The Two Noble Kinsmen. Both title characters fall in love with her, leading to mortal conflict.
- Emilia is a lady attending on Hermione, both at court and in prison, in The Winter's Tale.
- See also Aemilia.
- An English Doctor is a minor character in Macbeth.
- Enobarbus (hist & hist) is a major character in Antony and Cleopatra: a follower of Antony who later abandons him to join Caesar.
- Ephesus:
- Antipholus of Ephesus, twin of Antipholus of Syracuse - with whom he is often confused, is a central character in The Comedy of Errors.
- Dromio of Ephesus, servant to Antipholus of Ephesus and twin of Dromio of Syracuse - with whom he is often confused, is a central character in The Comedy of Errors.
- See also Solinus, who is Duke of Ephesus.
- Epilogue:
- An Epilogue and a Prologue (possibly the same player) appear in The Two Noble Kinsmen.
- An Epilogue and a Prologue (possibly the same player) appear in Henry VIII.
- An Epilogue (possibly the character Rumour) appears in Henry IV, Part 2.
- A number of characters speak epilogues, including Chorus (in Henry V), Gower, Prospero and Rosalind.
- See also Prologue and Chorus.
- Eros is a follower of Antony in Antony and Cleopatra, who kills himself rather than obey Antony's order to kill him.
- Sir Thomas Erpingham (hist) is an officer in the English army in Henry V.
- Escalus:
- Escalus, Prince of Verona tries to keep the peace between Montague and Capulet, in Romeo and Juliet.
- Escalus is a lord involved in the government of Vienna, in Measure for Measure.
- Escanes is a minor character in Pericles, Prince of Tyre. He converses with Helicanus about the strange death of Antiochus and his daughter.
- The Earl of Essex (hist) is a minor character in King John.
- Sir Hugh Evans is a Welsh priest in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is challenged to a duel by Caius. He plays a fairy in the final act.
- Exeter:
- The Duke of Exeter (1) (hist) is an uncle of Henry V. He acts as emissary to the French King in Henry V. He has a more choric role in Henry VI, Part 1.
- The Duke of Exeter (2) (hist) is a Lancastrian leader in Henry VI, Part 3.
- Sir Piers of Exton (fict) murders the deposed King Richard in Richard II.
Read more about this topic: Shakespearean Characters