The Bloody Chamber Characters

A young, virginal pianist who lives with her mother and then marries the sadistic Marquis. After she discover the Marquis’ torture chamber he threatens to behead her, but she is saved by her mother. Later she marries Jean-Yves.

The “richest man in France,” a huge, bearded nobleman who collects sadistic pornography and murders his wives in the bloody chamber of his seaside castle. He is killed by the heroine’s mother.

A young, blind piano tuner who befriends the heroine and tries to protect her from the Marquis. Later the heroine marries him.

A fierce, independent woman who had fought pirates and killed a tiger in her youth, and married a poor soldier. She saves the heroine at the story’s climax.

An old woman who tends to the Marquis’ castle with a strict routine, and was the Marquis’ foster mother growing up.

The Marquis’ second wife, the model for an engraving by Odilon Redon called The Evening Star Walking on the Rim of Night. Her skull hangs suspended in the bloody chamber.

The Marquis’ first wife. The heroine saw her singing the part of Isolde in the opera Tristan.

The Marquis’ third wife, a clever, beautiful woman who he kills with the Iron Maiden.

A lion-like creature who lives in a mansion and is attended to by the spaniel. He falls in love with Beauty and is transformed into a man, “Mr Lyon,” by her kiss.

A brave, beautiful girl who falls in love with the Beast but then is distracted by her father’s newfound wealth.

A man who lost his fortune and so lives in poverty. He finds the Beast’s mansion during a snowstorm and is the beneficiary of the Beast’s hospitality.

The Beast’s attendant, an intelligent dog with a diamond-studded collar.

A tiger who disguises himself as a man with a mask and cloak. He lives in an isolated mansion and plays cards with everyone who passes through his town.

A beautiful, virginal girl whose father gambles her away to The Beast. At first she refuses The Beast and threatens to kill herself, but then she undresses before him and is transformed into a tiger by his “kiss.”

A wasteful, foolish man who gambles away his fortunes and his daughter and tries to tearfully apologize.

A monkey disguised as a man who attends to The Beast.

An automaton that looks exactly like the heroine and attends to her in her bedroom.

A clever, roguish cat who wears boots and helps his master cheat people out of money and seduce women. Later he settles down with the tabby.

Figaro’s companion, a clever, promiscuous young man who falls in love with Signor Panteleone’s wife and later marries her.

Signor Panteleone’s young wife, a virgin because her husband is impotent. She is seduced by Figaro’s master and marries him immediately after Signor Panteleone dies.

A mean old woman who guards the young woman and is allergic to cats.

A rich old miser who guards his young wife as a “prize possession.” He trips over the tabby, falls down the stairs, and dies.

Signor Panteleone’s cat, a clever schemer who helps unite the master and the young woman. Figaro falls in love with her.

A mysterious green-eyed figure who lives in the forest and communes with the animals. He lures girls in with his pipe and seduces them, and then turns them into birds and puts them in cages.

A young woman who wanders into the forest and is seduced by the Erl-King. She strangles him with his own hair.

He creates a girl out of his own desires and then has sex with her corpse when she dies.

The Count’s wife who is jealous of the girl.

A magical girl created from blood, snow, and a raven’s feather. She gets pricked by a rose and dies.

The “queen of vampires,” a beautiful young girl who lives in a mansion in Romania and feeds on rabbits and passing travelers. She constantly lays out Tarot cards.

A mute old woman who attends to the Countess and leads unsuspecting travelers to her room.

A young, virginal British soldier traveling through Romania on his bicycle. He inadvertently kills the Countess with his kiss, and afterward is called off to fight in WWI.

A brave young girl who cuts off a wolf’s hand when it attacks her, and then helps kill her grandmother when the grandmother revealed as a werewolf.

A werewolf who is discovered by her granddaughter and stoned to death.

A sheltered, virginal girl who goes to visit her grandmother. She encounters a huntsman werewolf and seduces him before he can eat her.

A werewolf who appears first as a handsome huntsman. He eats the child’s grandmother and is seduced by the child.

A pious old woman who is eaten by the wolf.

A feral girl who was raised by wolves. She is taken in by some nuns who try to “civilize” her, but then given up to the Duke.

An old, monstrous werewolf who feeds on humans and doesn’t appear in mirrors.

A bridegroom whose bride was killed by the Duke. He shoots the Duke with a silver bullet.