Character List
Takeru Ishida–The son and heir of Ishida and Lady Ishida. A young man of about sixteen, Takeru is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the Yagamis, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love and he goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of his feelings. He secretly marries Hikari, the daughter of his father's worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Taichi; and he would rather die than live without his beloved. Takeru is also an affectionate and devoted friend to his relative Yamato, Willis, and Friar Lawrence.
Hikari Yagami–The daughter of Yagami and Lady Yagami. A beautiful thirteen-year-old girl, Hikari begins the play as a naïve child who thought little about love and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Takeru, the son of her family's great enemy. Because she is a girl in an aristocratic family, she has none of the freedom Takeru has to roam around the city, climb over walls in the middle of the night, or get into swordfights. Nevertheless, she shows amazing courage in trusting her entire life and future to Takeru, even refusing to believe the worst reports about him after he gets involved in a fight with her cousin. Hikari's closest friend and confidant is Nurse Mimi, though she's willing to shut Nurse Mimi out of her life the moment Nurse Mimi turns against Takeru.
Friar Lawrence–A Franciscan friar, friend to both Takeru and Hikari. Kind, civic-minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Odaiba. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.
Willis–A kinsman to Prince Gennai, and Takeru's close friend. Willis overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor. Willis loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions. He finds Takeru's romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries to convince Takeru to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
Nurse Mimi Tachikawa–Hikari's nurse, the woman who breast-fed Hikari when she was a baby and has cared for Hikari her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental character, Nurse Mimi provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play's end, Nurse Mimi is Hikari's faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Hikari's affair with Takeru. She provides a contrast with Hikari, given that her view of love is earthly and sexual, whereas Hikari is idealistic and intense. Nurse Mimi believes in love and wants Hikari to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Hikari would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her.
Taichi Yagami–A Yagami, Hikari's cousin on her mother's side. Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Ishidas.
Yagami–The patriarch of the Yagami family, father of Hikari, husband of Lady Yagami, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Ishida. He truly loves his daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Hikari's thoughts or feelings, and seems to think that what is best for her is a "good" match with Daisuke. Often prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage when either is lacking.
Lady Yagami–Hikari's mother, Yagami's wife. A woman who herself married young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Hikari at close to the age of fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Daisuke. She is an ineffectual mother, relying on Nurse Mimi for moral and pragmatic support.
Ishida–Takeru's father, the patriarch of the Ishida clan and bitter enemy of Yagami. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Takeru's melancholy.
Lady Ishida–Takeru's mother, Ishida's wife. She dies of grief after Takeru is exiled from Odaiba.
Daisuke Motomiya–A kinsman of Prince Gennai, and the suitor of Hikari most preferred by Yagami. Once Yagami has promised him he can marry Hikari, he behaves very presumptuous toward, acting as if they were already married.
Yamato Ishida–Ishida's nephew, Takeru's cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though Willis accuses him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of the play trying to help Takeru get his mind off Catherine, even after Takeru has fallen in love with Hikari.
Prince Gennai–The Prince of Odaiba. A kinsman of Willis and Daisuke. As the seat of political power in Odaiba, he is concerned about maintain the public peace at all costs.
Friar John–A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of Hikari's false death to Takeru in Highton View Terrace. Friar John is held up in a quarantined house, and the message never reaches Takeru.
Cody Hida–Takeru's dedicated servant, who brings Takeru the news of Hikari's death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
Sam Ichijouji and Ken Ichijouji–Two servants of the house of Yagami, who, like their master, hate the Ishidas. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke some Ishida men into a fight.
Izzy Izumi–Ishida's servant, who fights with Sam and Ken in the first scene of the play.
The Apothecary–An apothecary in Highton View Terrace. Had he been wealthier, he might have been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to sell poison to Takeru.
Joe Kido–A Yagami servant who invites guests to Yagami's feast and escorts Nurse Mimi to meet with Takeru. He is illiterate, and a bad singer.
Catherine–The woman with whom Takeru is infatuated at the beginning of the play. Catherine never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.
The Chorus–The Chorus is a single character who functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play's plot and themes.