Henslowe:
Who is he?
- owner of The Rose Theatre
- owes Fennyman money
- wants to have a comedy, although Shakespeare writes a drama

What is he like?
- has no real idea about business
- hopes that everything turns out well

Typical sentence: "It will turn out well. […] I don't know, it's a mytery." (p.131, ll.10-12)

Burbage:
Who is he?
- acts at The Curtain Theatre and also owns it (p.3)
- England's most famous actor (p.3)
- plays for Queen Elizabeth I. (p.20)
- businessman (p.19)
- his mistress is called Rosaline (p.18)

What is he like?
- is a liar and traitor (p.18 + pp.95-96)

by: Frauke W., Rasmus G., Nils F., Hermann A.

Rosaline:
- belongs to Burbage but loves many men
=>unfaithful woman
- sex seems to be very important to her (cf. p. 21, ll.20-21 and p.95, ll.9 ff.)

Typical sentence: “Burbage has my keeping but you have my heart.” (p.22)
(That’s a sentence she perhaps says to many men.)

Nurse
- the nurse takes care of Viola and comforts her when she is sad
- she seems to love Viola and she wants her best
- she (nearly) always at Viola’s side
- the relationship between Viola and the nurse is very intimate (cf. pp.25ff. – Viola talks to her about her dreams and about love) => perhaps the relationship between Viola and the nurse is closer than the relationship between Viola and her mother since we don’t get information about that anywhere in the book)
- the nurse is very loyal and protects and helps Viola so that she isn’t caught by Wessex in the theatre or still wearing a moustache (pp. 58-59)
- although she doesn’t seem to agree to Viola’s new ideas of theatre (pp.25ff.), she supports her (cf. p.44)
- perhaps the nurse herself once had a dream like Viola which didn’t become true so that she HAD TO be a nurse (cf. p.26, l.23)
=> the relationship between Viola and the nurse is more like a relationship between mother and daughter or between friends than a relationship between a worker and her employer’s daughter

by Evelina

Shakespeare:
- playwright, poet, and actor
- perfectionist
- emotional
- easily motivated
- sets high standards for his plays and is ambitious about them
- sex and permanent love are his source of inspiration
Ø he is devastated as he discovers that his "love" Rosaline also sleeps with Mr. Tilney
- in love with Viola
- open to others
- doesn't have a problem with women acting on stage

Sentence:
"Words, words, words … once, I had the gift… […] for sixpence a line I could cause a riot in a nunnery."

by Barbara

Lord Wessex

Lord Wessex is in his forties, dark hair and very self-important.
Wessex is in financial difficulties and relies on the wedding to Viola and her fortune
to escape his bankruptcy. Thus Will and Viola's love presents a very serious thread to his plans.
Unfortunately he needs the Queen's consent to marry Viola which he eventually doesn't get.

by Alexander

Viola de Lesseps

- Viola de Lesseps is a daughter of a rich man and is 25 years old.
- She has long blonde hair and is very beautiful.
- She loves theatre and wants to be an actress.
- Viola really wants heroines to be played by women, not prosqueau boys in petticoats.
- She is obliged to marry Lord Wessex and has move to Virginia, but she doesn't like him.
- She admires Shakespeare, later loves him.
- She pretends to be a male actor and went to the audition for Shakespeare's new play - and she   was good.

"I will have poetry in my live. And adventure. And love. Love about all"

by Sonja, Insa, Julia, Sabrina and Sabrina