The Complete List of Characters
Great Expectations has many characters, each listed below.
They are separated into the following three categories:
They are separated into the following three categories:
- Major Characters
- Secondary Characters
- Minor Characters
Major Characters
Pip (Philip Pirrip)
Pip
The narrator and protagonist who recounts his life story of growing up in England, beginning in Kent and later moving to London. Pip is a very passionate, romantic and ambitious young man who tries to better himself because he is ashamed of his origins. Fortune and fame eventually find him although he now realizes that those things cannot make him happy or more importantly, obtain Estella’s love.
Estella
Estella
She is a beautiful young girl around Pip’s age who had been adopted and raised by the wealthy but strange Miss Havisham. She is the object of Pip’s love and desires but she treats him with only contempt and cruelty, repeatedly telling him that she has no heart.
Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham
She is a very wealthy but crazy old woman who lives at Satis House near Pip’s village. She had been stood up on her wedding day and now raises the beautiful Estella to try to get “revenge on all men” for her own broken heart. Pip had believed that she was his secret benefactor to promote his social class.
Abel Magwitch (Provis/Mr.Campbell)
Magwitch
A fearsome criminal who escapes from prison and terrorized the young Pip to bring him food. Awed by Pip’s kindness, he returns as Pip’s secret benefactor and funds his education and living expenses, allowing him to climb the social ladder. He wants Pip to be everything he himself couldn’t be and turns out to be Estella’s birth father.
Joe Gargery
Joe
He is Pip’s brother-in-law who married his sister Mrs. Joe and stays with her out of love for Pip. He is the village blacksmith and is uneducated which makes him of lower class, but shows his pure goodness when Pip expresses disdain for Joe after becoming a gentleman.
Secondary Characters
Mrs. Joe Gargery: Pip’s older sister who raises Pip with her husband, Joe and becomes this overbearing and strict mother figure to Pip. She later suffers a blow to the head, which she must stay in bed for until her death. She is portrayed as harsh and demanding, also very ambitious trying to be more than just the blacksmith’s wife.
Jaggers: The powerful well-respected lawyer who alerts Pip of his awaiting fortune in London and becomes his guardian. As a criminal lawyer, he must consort with some nasty criminals and later washes his hands obsessively to keep his job from corrupting him. Jaggers bases his decisions solely on facts and reasoning but before the novel is over, he seems to somewhat care for Pip.
Wemmick: He is Jagger’s law clerk and befriends Pip while giving him guidance and companionship from time to time. Wemmick is an odd character that is detached and unemotional at work but loving and tender away from his job. His possessions are all “portable”.
Herbert Pocket: Herbert first appears as an odd young child who Pip meets at the Satis House where he challenges Pip to a casual fistfight almost jokingly. Later, Pip encounters him again as he is the son of Pip’s tutor and the two become instant friends who share an apartment as well as their joys and sorrows. Herbert is also ambitious and hardworking who falls for a lower-status but kind girl named Clara.
Biddy: A girl of the same social class as Pip moves into his home to take care of Mrs. Joe after her attack. Sweet and intelligent Biddy befriends Pip and teaches him all that she had learnt in school. Pip wishes that he could love Biddy, rather than Estella because she actually brings him joy but he never really does.
Dolge Orlick: He was one of Joe’s blacksmith labourers who is stupid but very jealous of others and hurts them simply for his own pleasure. He had attacked Mrs. Joe and left her disabled and many years later, tried to kill Pip but was unsuccessful.
Uncle Pumblechook: An uncle figure in Pip’s life who is very arrogant and obsessed with social class and wealth. He is responsible for Pip’s job with Miss Havisham’s and later tries to take credit for his success and it was believed Miss Havisham was the secret benefactor.
Compeyson: Magwitch’s criminal partner who is educated unlike that of Magwitch. He later becomes Magwitch’s enemy and captures him at the end of the novel despite the fact that he also died. Compeyson is also the man who stood up Miss Havisham on their wedding.
Bentley Drummle: He is another one of Matthew Pockets’ students along with Pip and Herbert but is very harsh and cruel towards those he feels are socially below him, which is almost everyone. He eventually marries Estella but abuses her and dies about a decade later.
Matthew Pocket: The only relative of Miss Havisham’s who does not stick around for her money. When she dies, she ends up leaving all her wealth to him because he was the only one who truly cared for her and warned her about Compeyson. He is an intelligent and kind man whose main job is to tutor Pip, his son Herbert, Drummle and Startop.
Jaggers: The powerful well-respected lawyer who alerts Pip of his awaiting fortune in London and becomes his guardian. As a criminal lawyer, he must consort with some nasty criminals and later washes his hands obsessively to keep his job from corrupting him. Jaggers bases his decisions solely on facts and reasoning but before the novel is over, he seems to somewhat care for Pip.
Wemmick: He is Jagger’s law clerk and befriends Pip while giving him guidance and companionship from time to time. Wemmick is an odd character that is detached and unemotional at work but loving and tender away from his job. His possessions are all “portable”.
Herbert Pocket: Herbert first appears as an odd young child who Pip meets at the Satis House where he challenges Pip to a casual fistfight almost jokingly. Later, Pip encounters him again as he is the son of Pip’s tutor and the two become instant friends who share an apartment as well as their joys and sorrows. Herbert is also ambitious and hardworking who falls for a lower-status but kind girl named Clara.
Biddy: A girl of the same social class as Pip moves into his home to take care of Mrs. Joe after her attack. Sweet and intelligent Biddy befriends Pip and teaches him all that she had learnt in school. Pip wishes that he could love Biddy, rather than Estella because she actually brings him joy but he never really does.
Dolge Orlick: He was one of Joe’s blacksmith labourers who is stupid but very jealous of others and hurts them simply for his own pleasure. He had attacked Mrs. Joe and left her disabled and many years later, tried to kill Pip but was unsuccessful.
Uncle Pumblechook: An uncle figure in Pip’s life who is very arrogant and obsessed with social class and wealth. He is responsible for Pip’s job with Miss Havisham’s and later tries to take credit for his success and it was believed Miss Havisham was the secret benefactor.
Compeyson: Magwitch’s criminal partner who is educated unlike that of Magwitch. He later becomes Magwitch’s enemy and captures him at the end of the novel despite the fact that he also died. Compeyson is also the man who stood up Miss Havisham on their wedding.
Bentley Drummle: He is another one of Matthew Pockets’ students along with Pip and Herbert but is very harsh and cruel towards those he feels are socially below him, which is almost everyone. He eventually marries Estella but abuses her and dies about a decade later.
Matthew Pocket: The only relative of Miss Havisham’s who does not stick around for her money. When she dies, she ends up leaving all her wealth to him because he was the only one who truly cared for her and warned her about Compeyson. He is an intelligent and kind man whose main job is to tutor Pip, his son Herbert, Drummle and Startop.
Minor Characters
Molly: Jaggers’ housekeeper who is also Estella’s birth mother.
Mr. Wopsle: The church clerk who later moves to London to pursue acting.
Startop: A gentleman who Pip and Herbert befriend and later helps with Magwitch’s escape.
Miss Skiffins: A lady whom Wemmick falls for and later marries.
Arthur Havisham: Miss Havisham’s half brother that accompanies Compeyson in the scheme to cheat some money off of her.
Camilla: an old talkative relative of Miss Havisham who sticks around her in hope of inheritance.
Cousin Raymond: Camilla’s husband whom also dreams of obtaining Miss Havisham’s money.
Georgiana: Another relative of Miss Havisham interested in her money.
Sarah Pocket: Another relative of Miss Havisham who is interested in her money.
Mr and Mrs Hubble: Couple in Pip’s village who believe they are better than everyone else.
Clara: A low-class girl who becomes Herbert’s wife.
Mr. Trabb and son: The local tailor and his son.
Mrs. Belinda Pocket: Wife to Matthew Pocket. Very beautiful but useless.
Flopson and Millers: Nurses at the Pockets’ house
Mrs. Collier: A neighbour to the Pockets
The Avenger: A useless servant to Pip
Bill Barley: Father of Herbert Pocket's wife Clara
Mrs. Whimple: Landlady to the Barleys who befriends Herbert.
The Aged Parent: John Wemmick's deaf father who Wemmick takes great care of.
Mr. Skiffins: Miss Skiffins’ brother who arranges the business of Herbert's partnership with Clarriker.
Clarriker: a merchant who does business with Herbert.
Mr. Wopsle: The church clerk who later moves to London to pursue acting.
Startop: A gentleman who Pip and Herbert befriend and later helps with Magwitch’s escape.
Miss Skiffins: A lady whom Wemmick falls for and later marries.
Arthur Havisham: Miss Havisham’s half brother that accompanies Compeyson in the scheme to cheat some money off of her.
Camilla: an old talkative relative of Miss Havisham who sticks around her in hope of inheritance.
Cousin Raymond: Camilla’s husband whom also dreams of obtaining Miss Havisham’s money.
Georgiana: Another relative of Miss Havisham interested in her money.
Sarah Pocket: Another relative of Miss Havisham who is interested in her money.
Mr and Mrs Hubble: Couple in Pip’s village who believe they are better than everyone else.
Clara: A low-class girl who becomes Herbert’s wife.
Mr. Trabb and son: The local tailor and his son.
Mrs. Belinda Pocket: Wife to Matthew Pocket. Very beautiful but useless.
Flopson and Millers: Nurses at the Pockets’ house
Mrs. Collier: A neighbour to the Pockets
The Avenger: A useless servant to Pip
Bill Barley: Father of Herbert Pocket's wife Clara
Mrs. Whimple: Landlady to the Barleys who befriends Herbert.
The Aged Parent: John Wemmick's deaf father who Wemmick takes great care of.
Mr. Skiffins: Miss Skiffins’ brother who arranges the business of Herbert's partnership with Clarriker.
Clarriker: a merchant who does business with Herbert.