The Characters
The following is a basic guide to the characters presented in The Pied Piper of Hamelin. More specific details on certain characters are explored in other sections of these notes.
Boy
Typical little brother/big sister relationship with Girl where they reveal behaviours of jealousy, acts of forced bravery, immaturity, cheekiness, playfulness, sarcasm, curiosity and impatience.
Girl
Similar characteristics to Boy except she seems to have more confidence and intelligence than the boy. She is not as immature or playful or curious due to more obvious experience. It is important to note that despite their differences, the two stick together during the telling of the story. Their shared interest in the story contributes to the flow of the script, but only on a minor scale. Their song that mocks typical fairytale aspects also brings a humorous element to the play, which the audience can certainly relate to.
Narrator Statue
A somewhat formal character who provides most of Robert Browning's original poem within his speeches. His character conveys curiosity within the boy and girl, and conversely the audience, by providing ‘sneak-peeks' into the play, which is important for grabbing the attention of the audience. His rivalry with Cool Rat bestows quite an entertaining aspect of the play, which also breaks down the context of the poem, which the audience may find hard to follow at times. You will notice at the beginning of the play that as the audience enters the theatre, the statue is already on stage with the obvious purpose of staying still, like a statue would. The key element here is the build-up of dramatic tension: the audience knows the statue isn't real, but they do not know when it will come to life. And when it does, a sense of relief is felt and the audience will hopefully by now be clearly focused on the play.
Two Fat Ladies
Mrs Toppleplop and Mrs Boobles are highly comic characters that describe how the plague of rats is affecting the town. They sing the song 'Bitten on the Bum by a Big Fat Rat'.
The Turtle
This character is a silly but effective inclusion in the play. His character coincides with the overall interpretation of the mayor's character. The turtle slaps the mayor in the face, which conversely blends with how the other characters feel about him - and hopefully by the audience as well.
Cool Rat
This highly energetic character provides a very entertaining role to which, children can easily relate. The Cool Rat offers translations of the original poem script to ensure the audience understands what is happening throughout the play. With his modern speech, the rivalry with the narrator and his general cheek towards the other characters, Cool Rat presents interest and comedic elements in the play. It is important to note that his attitude changes within the context of the story. His sympathy for the Lame Child is strong evidence of this transition.
Chorus of Rats
A chorus of performers representing the various rats creating havoc in the town. These include ballerina rats, lifesaver rats, synchronised swimming rats, and Caesar rat.
Chorus of Children
The innocents in a town of low moral character. They sing a song about how they may stay if the grown ups in the town could keep their promises. The Pied Piper leads them away to another land inside a mountain which closes behind them.
The Townspeople
The emotions felt by the townspeople are reflected through the speech of the narrator, as well as the relationships and interactions with each other and the rest of the characters. The frustration they endure as a result of the rat plague and the gradual destruction of their town is vented particularly on the lazy and somewhat corrupt mayor. They also feel great horror as the children are transfixed by the Pied Piper's spell and lead away and this is incorporated by their speeches taken from the original poem.
The Mayor
A pompous character who is greedy, corrupt and not very intelligent. Despite the evil traits he possesses, the audience has the potential to interpret him as a likeable character, especially through his exaggerated emotions. The Mayor is not very bright, which may incidentally contribute to his likeability.
The Pied Piper
A complex character that has the potential to be interpreted in many different ways. The description given by the narrator could be depicted, for example as a jolly performer, or an evil clown. His character is so multifaceted that there is no end to the possibilities of how the character can be perceived. These depictions are further developed through the drowning of the rats, and conversely, the kidnapping of the town's children. He can use his powers to manipulate others which contributes to his ambivalent nature.
Lame Child
Provides the audience with an insight into the Pied Piper's ‘joyous land'. If this character did not exist, the audience would have no idea about the full story of the children's new life in the mountain. It is important to note that Cool Rat begins his change of attitude here. His emphasis on the Lame Child's love within his family is evident, which eases the tension the audience may feel at this point of the story.
Activity
Movement
Get the class to move around the room, demonstrating how they think a rat would move. Consider the size, shape and everyday activities of a rat. Then get students to ‘characterise' their rats by becoming ballerina rats, lifesaver rats and so on. Continue this exercise finding movements for all the different characters in the play.