Splendid's (1948; published later) by Jean Genet (List of Characters)

 

Splendid's (1948; published later)

by Jean Genet

(List of Characters) 

List of Characters in Splendid’s by Jean Genet

 

The Leader – The head of the gang, projecting authority and control, trying to maintain order among the group while facing inevitable doom.

 

The Gangsters / Members of the Group – A group of armed men, each with distinct personalities, who perform bravado and loyalty while trapped in the hotel. Their identities are largely defined by the roles they play and their interactions with each other.

 

The Dead Woman / Hostage – A silent but central figure whose death symbolizes mortality, moral consequence, and the fragility of heroic illusions. She haunts the gangsters’ psyche throughout the play.

 

The Police / Authority Outside – Represented indirectly through voices and sirens, they symbolize external power, inevitability, and societal control. Though unseen, their presence drives tension and dictates the gangsters’ actions.

 

Supporting / Minor Characters (optional references in dialogue) – Occasionally, the gangsters refer to other figures from their past or imagined audience, reinforcing the performative aspect of their behavior and the world beyond the hotel walls.

 

The play is heavily ensemble-focused, emphasizing the collective psychology and ritualized performance of the gang rather than detailed individual backstories.