Emma

Characters

The characters of Emma are an eclectic bunch of young socialites - ladies and gents, wiser and older married couples, parents and guardians with only the best in mind.

Emma Woodhouse	Protagonist of the play, described by Austen as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition." She is the head of her father's household as her mother is deceased and her older sister married. Sincere and concerned for the welfare of others she tries to manipulate the social games of etiquette and matchmaking to benefit those she likes, perhaps not with the best results. In contrast to her openness to coupling for others she has a fear of love herself and is slightly prudish, and during the play, through her poor matchmaking skills and her mistakes, Emma's self-understanding grows and she is then able to trust her emotions enough to believe and follow them.
Mr George Knightley	Emma's brother-in-law, the Woodhouses' trusted friend and advisor and counsellor to the Martins, Knightley, in his late thirties is a respected landowner living at Donwell Abbey. Knightley is the only character who is openly critical of Emma, pointing out her flaws and foibles with frankness, out of genuine concern and care for her. In this respect, he acts as a stand-in for Austen's and the reader's judgments of Emma.
Mr Woodhouse	Emma's father and the patriarch of Hartfield. Nervous, frail and friendly, Mr Woodhouse is a hypochondriac who is very attached to his daughter. Resistant to change, he impedes Emma's growth and acceptance of her adult destiny. Often foolish and clearly not Emma's intellectual equal but she comforts and entertains him with insight and affection.
Harriet Smith	A pretty but unremarkable seventeen-year-old woman of uncertain parentage, who lives at the local boarding school. Harriet becomes Emma's protégé and the object of her matchmaking schemes.
Frank Churchill	Mr Weston's son and Mrs. Weston's stepson. Frank Churchill lives at Enscombe with his aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Churchill. He is considered a potential suitor for Emma, but she learns that though Frank is attractive, charming, and clever, he is also irresponsible, deceitful, rash, and ultimately unsuited to her.
Jane Fairfax	Miss Bates's niece, whose arrival in Highbury irritates Emma. Jane rivals Emma in accomplishment and beauty; she possesses a kind heart and a reserved temperament. Because Jane lacks Emma's fortune, she must consider employment as a governess, but her marriage to Frank Churchill saves her from that fate.
Mrs Weston	Formerly Miss Taylor, Emma's beloved governess and companion. Known for her kind temperament and her devotion to Emma, Mrs Weston lives at Randall's with her husband, Frank Churchill's father.
Mr Weston	The widower and proprietor of Randall's, who has just married Miss Taylor when the novel begins. Mr Weston has a son, Frank, from his first marriage to Miss Churchill. Mr Weston is warm, sociable, and perpetually optimistic.
Mr Elton	The village vicar, a handsome and agreeable man considered a welcome addition to any social gathering. When he reveals his indifference to Harriet and his desire to marry Emma, only to take a bride at Bath shortly thereafter, he comes to seem proud, conceited, and superficial.
Mr Robert Martin	A twenty-four-year-old farmer. Mr Martin is industrious and good-hearted, though he lacks the refinements of a gentleman. He lives at Abbey-Mill Farm, a property owned by Knightley, with his mother and sisters.
Miss Bates	Friend of Mr Woodhouse and aunt of Jane Fairfax, Miss Bates is a middle-aged spinster without beauty or cleverness but with universal goodwill and a gentle temperament. Emma's impatient treatment of her reveals the less attractive parts of Emma's character.
Isabella Knightley	Emma's older sister, who lives in London with her husband, Mr John Knightley, and their five children. Isabella is pretty, amiable, and completely devoted to her family, but slow and diffident compared to Emma. Her domesticity provides a contrast to the independent celibacy Emma imagines for herself.
Mr John Knightley	Emma's brother-in-law and Mr George Knightley's brother. As a lawyer, John Knightley is clear-minded but somewhat sharp in temper, and Emma and her father are sometimes displeased with his severity.
Mrs Elton	Formerly Augusta Hawkins, Mrs Elton hails from Bristol and meets Mr Elton in Bath. She is somewhat attractive and accomplished; she has some fortune and a well-married sister, but her vanity, superficiality, and vulgar over familiarity offset her admirable qualities.
Mrs Bates	Mother to Miss Bates and friend of Mr Woodhouse. An elderly woman, Mrs Bates is quiet, amiable, and somewhat deaf.