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Werther

The protagonist. A well-educated, upper-middle-class, artistic, extremely moody young man. His unrequited love for Charlotte brings him both intense joy and tortuous pain, and he is powerless to refrain from seeking her company.

Read an in-depth analysis of Werther.

Charlotte

The object of Werther’s affections. The daughter of the district judge, she takes care of her eight younger siblings after the death of their mother. She is engaged to Albert, and in Werther’s eyes she is the perfect woman.

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Albert

Charlotte’s fiancé. Albert appears to be an excellent businessman and a sensible, loving fiancé and husband to Charlotte. He is also a good friend to Werther, who likes and respects him in return.

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Wilhelm

Werther’s friend and faithful correspondent. It is clear that he devotedly loves his friend Werther and cares deeply about his welfare.

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A young peasant man

A minor character with a tragic story that has major symbolic meaning for Werther. The man’s tragic story of unrequited love parallels Werther’s story and foreshadows the extremes that Werther will go to in the name of love.

Charlotte’s siblings

They include eight boys and girls of various ages from toddlers to teens. They mostly appear as a group rather than individually, and Werther adores them all and they love him back. Charlotte’s touching relationship with them is one of the main reasons Werther falls in love with her. 

The mother

A young woman with two young boys, one aged four and one an infant. Her approach to parenting relaxes Werther. 

The ambassador

An elderly career bureaucrat, Werther works for him as an attaché at court. He nitpicks Werther’s writing and complains about his impetuous, arrogant personality. He and Werther dislike one another.

Count C—

A nobleman at court. He takes an interest in Werther, who in turn esteems the count. The Count’s lack of a formal higher education may make him fear for the security of his higher social status, which is perhaps the reason that he ultimately does not defend Werther.

Miss B—

A noblewoman who lives with her widowed aunt, who is also of noble lineage. She also knows Charlotte and likes her very much. She enjoys the time that she and Werther spend together, but like Count C—she also does not defend him.

Henry 

A young man who spent time in an insane asylum.  

Henry’s mother 

The permanent caretaker for her adult son. 

The editor 

The unnamed narrator of the epilogue. His forensic investigation of Werther’s own notes and letters details the weeks leading up to his death. 

V— 

A recent university graduate. His pedantry puts Werther off.

An agreeable woman 

A woman from Werther’s neighborhood and his date for the ball. 

Werther’s date’s aunt 

An older woman. She warns Werther not to fall in love with Charlotte.

A lady at the ball

An older woman. She admonishes Charlotte for her display of emotion.

An aging vicar

The town clergyman, and a friend to Charlotte. 

Frederica

The vicar’s beautiful daughter.

Herr Schmidt

Frederica’s boyfriend.

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