Anne's father or guardian, Anne is his heiress. His fondness for Anne mirrors Pantaloon's feeling for Columbine. Festus Derriman – Captain: The Captain exaggerated his past exploits, was courageous about the idea of fighting, and cowardly when faced with actual danger. He was usually drunken and incompetent. Festus has all of these characteristics, boasting to Anne, for instance, about his fighting prowess (while demonstrating his incompetence), hiding with the women when there's a rumour of invasion, and partial to drink. Matilda Johnson – Soubrette: Soubrette was a minor character in Commedia dell'arte, who sometimes married Harlequin, sometimes Pantaloon. Like Matilda, she is characterised by her loose morals, love of life and enjoyment of intrigue. And finally, John Loveday, the Trumpet-Major himself – Pierrot: In Commedia dell'arte, Pierrot was a comic servant character, often naïve, and always heart-broken by his unrequited love for Columbine. The French version of Pierrot became something of a 19th-century ‘meme’: a melancholy, white-faced figure, pensive and silent. John Loveday is a thoughtful, simple-hearted man. His pallor is often remarked on, too – a nod at Pierrot's painted white face. Notes References External links Hutchinson Encyclopedia: Alun Hoddinott Italian Opera: Alun Hoddinott 1880 British novels Novels by Thomas Hardy English novels Novels set during the Napoleonic Wars Spottiswoode books British historical novels Novels adapted into operas Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington