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Quotes
The Nightingale
Although she dies before the story's conclusion, the Nightingale is the protagonist of "The Nightingale and the Rose." A romantic by nature, she has spent much of her life singing about love, waiting for the…
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The Student
Initially a sympathetic character, the Student ultimately emerges as the antagonist of "The Nightingale and the Rose." By claiming to be deeply in love with the girl, the Student inspires the Nightingale to sacrifice…
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The Rose-tree
There are three rose-trees in "The Nightingale and the Rose," but only the one standing outside the Student's window plays a major role in the story. This is the tree that tells the Nightingale he…
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The girl
The girl appears only briefly in "The Nightingale and the Rose," but she is vital to the story’s plot and themes. The daughter of the Professor, she embodies unfeeling materialism. Having told the Student…
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The Lizard
Like the Nightingale, the Lizard overhears the Student lamenting his unrequited love for the girl. The Lizard, however, is "a cynic," so he scoffs when he learns the Student is crying over a…
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Minor Characters
The Oak-tree
The Oak-tree is both a friend of the Nightingale and the place where she makes her home. Like the Rose-tree, the Oak-tree understands the seriousness of the Nightingale's intended sacrifice, and he begs her to sing one last song for him before she goes to her death.
The Professor
Although he never appears in the story, the Professor is a symbolically important character. Like the Student, the Professor has clear ties to academia and intellectualism. Interestingly, however, he is also the father of the girl, suggesting a link between the Student's "rational" worldview and the girl's materialism.
The White Rose-tree
This is the first tree the Nightingale visits on her search for a red rose. He does not have one, so he sends her to his brother, the Yellow Rose-tree.
The Yellow Rose-tree
This is the second tree the Nightingale visits on her search for a red rose. He does not have one, so he sends her to his brother, the Red Rose-tree.
