Next

Nathaniel 

A young man attending university in Italy, and the protagonist of the story. Nathaniel has a lifelong fascination with tales of the unusual, the imaginary, and the grotesque, a tendency he has had since he was a young boy. He is also prone to fears and fantasies taking over his thoughts until he can no longer tell what is real. As he grows older, Nathaniel indulges his romantic side through writing poetry and stories, but his interest in the whimsical and the unnatural soon yields to darker, more cynical thoughts.

Read an in-depth analysis of Nathaniel.

Clara

A girl who becomes Nathaniel’s childhood sweetheart and later his fiancée. Clara is a sweet, sensible young woman who tries to counteract some of Nathaniel’s darker fears, offering reasonable explanations for them. She tries to appeal to Nathaniel’s better nature and despairs when he shows the dark side of his personality.

Read an in-depth analysis of Clara.

Coppelius/Coppola 

A lawyer, inventor, and optician who appears at significant moments that change Nathaniel’s life for the worse. Coppelius first appears when Nathaniel sees him in his father’s study, and Nathaniel thinks back to all the times Coppelius visited the family’s home. Coppelius is monstrous in appearance, with exaggerated features, but even more monstrous in the way he frightens or disgusts the children. Coppelius shows up at key moments in the story, taunting and terrifying Nathaniel, and making repeated cryptic references to eyes. In many respects, Coppelius is like a Greek chorus appearing at key moments to speak of the hero’s pending doom.

Read an in-depth analysis of Coppelius/Coppola.

Olympia

A beautiful young woman. Olympia attracts Nathaniel’s eye and captures his heart in spite of her strange mannerisms and seemingly limited vocabulary and lack of movement. Olympia’s skills include some singing and dancing, but she rarely moves or speaks. 

Spalanzani

A professor of physics at the university Nathaniel attends. Known as the father of Olympia, Spalanzani delights in his own cleverness and ingenuity, but his pride ends up being the cause of his undoing.

Nathaniel’s parents

Nathaniel’s unnamed parents. His father occasionally works with Coppelius on projects. His unnamed mother reluctantly puts up with her husband’s regular receiving Coppelius at their home as a guest. Nathaniel’s father is killed during what is believed to have been an accident.

The Nursemaid

The old woman who cares for Nathaniel’s youngest sister. She tells Nathaniel a scary version of the Sandman story that affects him for the rest of this life.

Lothaire

Clara’s brother and Nathaniel’s friend. He and Clara and are wards of Nathaniel’s mother. He is protective of his sister, ready to duel Nathaniel for a perceived insult to Clara. 

Sigismund

A friend and classmate of Nathaniel. He is one of the first people to tell Nathaniel that there is something strange and off-putting about Olympia’s behavior.

Next section Nathaniel

Take a Study Break