Tamburlaine
Tamburlaine is the play’s protagonist, born a lowly shepherd among the nomadic Scythian peoples of central Asia. However, it’s immediately clear that he’s destined for far greater heights than his humble origins might suggest. Early…
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Zenocrate
Zenocrate is the daughter of the Soldan of Egypt, originally betrothed to the King of Arabia, but whom Tamburlaine captures, woos, and eventually weds. Her beauty compels Tamburlaine’s unfaltering love and adoration, frequently…
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Theridamas
Theridamaswas originally the Persian king Mycetes’s military commander, but one brief meeting with Tamburlaine convinces him to switch sides. From then on, he serves as one of Tamburlaine’s closest confidants and a crucial commander…
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Techelles and Usumcasane
Techelles and Usumcasaneare loyal followers of Tamburlaine from before the play begins. The pair express an unwavering devotion for Tamburlaine, though they explicitly state their expectation of derivative glory and power for themselves. This seems…
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Bajazeth
Bajazethis the powerful Emperor of the Turks. He has little patience for the rumors of Tamburlaine’s growing might, dismissing him based on his humble background and scorning “the presumption of this Scythian slave.” When Tamburlaine…
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Zabina
Zabina is Bajazeth’s wife. She matches her husband’s tireless capacity to deliver verbal abuse against Tamburlaine, of course falling on deaf ears. She and Zenocrate verbally spar while their husbands make war, providing a…
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Soldan of Egypt
The Soldan of Egypt is Zenocrate’s father. Incensed over his daughter’s kidnapping and assuming that she’s being held against her will, he and the King of Arabia (Zenocrate’s arranged fiancé) gather an army to rescue…
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King of Arabia
The King of Arabia is Zenocrate’s arranged fiancé. He joins with the Soldan to rescue her from Tamburlaine, and he fights and dies gallantly in battle. He and Zenocrate share a loving exchange in…
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Mycetes
Mycetes is the original king of Persia, a weak and incompetent buffoon. His brother Cosroe insults him to his face, and the other members of his court merely pay him lip service while secretly backing…
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Cosroe
Cosroe is king Mycetes’s brother. He considers himself more suited to rule than his oafish sibling and plots to steal the throne, with support from Mycetes’s court members. Aside from his deceitfulness, his vanity…
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Calyphas
Calyphas is the lazy one of Tamburlaine’s three sons. Finding war boring and distasteful, he openly disdains taking part in it, enraging his father. He prefers wine and women to bloodshed. When he skips out…
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Orcanes
Orcanes is king of Natolia. He strikes an oath of alliance with Sigismund, which he respects but Sigismund betrays. In this respect the Muslim Orcanes appears honorable in contrast to the fickle Christian Sigismund…
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Sigismund
Sigismund is the Christian king of Hungary. At the persuasion of his allies Frederick and Baldwin, he is persuaded to renege on the oath of alliance with Orcanes that he swore in Christ’s name…
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Olympia
Olympia is the beautiful wife of the Captain of Balsera. When he’s killed in Theridamas’s siege, she kills her son and tries to kill herself, but Theridamas, overcome by her beauty, snatches her…
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Callapine
Callapine is Bajazeth’s son, who like his father is caged by Tamburlaine at the start of Part 2. He bribes his guard Almeda to free him and returns to the Turks, who welcome him…
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Almeda
Almeda is the watchman over Callapine in Tamburlaine’s camp. Callapine bribes Almeda with the promise of riches and power to let him escape, winning Almeda’s fierce loyalty from there on out. This sequence is reminiscent…
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Agydas
Agydas is one of Zenocrate’s original attendants, along with Magnetes, when Tamburlaine captures her. Early in their captivity, he inquires into Zenocrate’s distraught behavior. He cannot believe her when she reveals that she’s falling…
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Governor of Babylon
Like so many others, the Governor of Babylon defiantly refuses to surrender his city to Tamburlaine, chastising his own men who recommend doing so as cowards and villains. Tamburlaine reveals his slide into depravity…
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Vestal Virgins
The Governor of Damascus sends a host of vestal virgins to plead with Tamburlaine to spare the city. Having already raised the black flags, Tamburlaine feels bound by his word and dismisses them, conceding that…
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Minor Characters
Amyras
Amyras is one of Tamburlaine’s three sons. Like his brother Celebinus but unlike Calyphas, he is eager to prove himself “warlike” to his father. He succeeds, fighting valiantly in battle, and Tamburlaine passes his reign to Amyras as he dies.
Celebinus
Celebinus is the youngest of Tamburlaine’s three sons. Wanting to earn his father’s approval, he fights when he can. He and Amyras try to warn Calyphas of their father’s terrible wrath, but Calyphas will not listen.
Frederick and Baldwin
Frederick and Baldwin are Christian allies to Sigismund. They persuade him to violate his oath with Orcanes sworn on Christ’s name.
Eastern Viceroys (Eastern Forces, Turkish Kings)
The Eastern viceroys are Orcanes’s allies, whom Tamburlaine defeats and then degrades.
Meander
Meander is one of Mycetes’s confidants. All Mycetes’s court members secretly support Cosroe, but Meander seems to be the most important to Mycetes and gets the most stage time. His extended statements of support for Mycetes reveal his own duplicity and underscore that of the Persians in general.
Ceneus, Ortygius, and Menaphon
Ceneus, Ortygius, and Menaphon are Persian court members who secretly back Cosroe’s plans to usurp his brother Mycetes’s throne. Cosroe plans to reward them with powerful roles when he becomes king, but Tamburlaine cuts these plans short.
Governor of Damascus
The Governor of Damascus refuses to surrender his city to Tamburlaine’s besieging forces when he has the chance. Once he realizes his mistake and the certain doom that awaits him, he dispatches the vestal virgins to plead on the city’s behalf, to no avail.
Kings of Argier, Fez, and Morocco
These kings are Bajazeth’s subservient allies, who echo Bajazeth’s disbelief at the “base-born” Tamburlaine’s presumption. Having destroyed them, Tamburlaine bestows their crowns on Theridamas, Techelles, and Usumcasane, respectively.
Captain of Balsera
The Captain of Balsera is yet another headstrong city leader who refuses to surrender to Tamburlaine’s siege, thereby dooming the city. His wife is Olympia.
Magnetes
Magnetes is one of Zenocrate’s original attendants, along with Agydas.
