James is initially described as the most studious, talented, and beautiful of the male actors, regularly cast in roles as the hero or prince. Yet it is this “good guy” who beats Richard with a boat hook and then allows another person to accept responsibility for his actions. The full implications of this split in James’s character does not emerge until the end of the novel, although there is evidence earlier that he has a judgmental side. James regularly makes harsh comments about Meredith, for example, assuming the worst of her. The ambiguity surrounding his death and the letter he sends Oliver does little to resolve the ongoing tensions that characterize James. 

James’s darker side finds expression in two of the roles he is assigned during the year. He had hoped for more varied casting, although these assignments accrue additional meaning as the novel proceeds. For their Halloween performance of Macbeth, James is given the title role. In Shakespeare’s play, not only does Macbeth kill the king, he is also plagued by profound guilt for his actions. With this role, James’s life and his art become entwined. Although he is Brutus in Julius Caesar, the role he is given in King Lear is equally portentous. An ambitious and unscrupulous character, Edmund is willing to employ any means to power, from betraying his brother Edgar (played by Oliver) to pitting sisters Goneril and Regan against each other. This is the kind of role that Richard would previously have played, now seized by James. His audition speech, from Henry VI Part 2, exposes his hidden aggression.