Gregory Character Analysis

Gregory is the jailer in the castle dungeon—though he’s also a prisoner there. An old man who keeps himself from getting lost in the maze-like dungeon thanks to a rope tied around his ankle, Gregory has a tenuous truce with the rats (they mostly agree to not chew on his rope). When he hears Despereaux telling himself a story, Gregory picks Despereaux up and agrees to save him in return for Despereaux sharing his story. Stories, Gregory says, are light—they can give people hope and purpose. Just after Gregory saves Despereaux, though, Roscuro chews through Gregory’s rope, causing the old man to die. This way, Gregory can’t thwart Roscuro’s plan to imprison the Princess Pea in the dungeon.