A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summaries & Analyses
Quizzes
Reading Tools
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Don Juan is a charismatic, cunning gallant in sixteenth-century Seville who leads a life of hedonism, dueling, and debauchery. He believes solely in earthly pleasures and actively defies social and religious expectations. Possessing sharp intelligence and a manipulative streak, he seeks to win a notorious bet by pursuing two difficult conquests: a novice nun and a friend's bride.
Rival of Don Luis Mejia
Romantic Interest of Dona Ines de Ulloa
Son of Don Diego Tenorio
Employer of Marcos Ciutti
Friend of Captain Centellas
Don Luis is a fellow gallant of Seville and Don Juan's primary competitor. Much like his rival, he is reckless, charming, and dedicated to a life of pleasure and conquest. He proudly tallies his misdeeds over the past year to win their wager, but his pride turns to outrage when his own fiancée becomes the target of a new, escalating bet.
Rival of Don Juan Tenorio
Fiancée of Dona Ana de Pantoja
Friend of Don Rafael de Avellaneda
Employer of Pascual
Don Gonzalo is the knight commander (comendador) of the order of Calatrava and a fiercely protective father. Strict, honorable, and deeply invested in his family's reputation, he actively investigates the true character of the man promised to his daughter. He views the societal codes of honor and purity with absolute seriousness, determined to cancel the marriage upon learning of Don Juan's true nature.
Father of Dona Ines de Ulloa
Enemy of Don Juan Tenorio
Dona Ines is a pure, seventeen-year-old novice nun who has spent her entire life sheltered within the Convent of the Calatrava Order. She embodies innocence and religious devotion, acting as a stark contrast to the corrupt world outside. Despite her cloistered upbringing and desire to please God, she harbors latent feelings that make her susceptible to the impassioned letters delivered by her attendant.
Don Diego is a wealthy and intelligent nobleman who takes the concept of family honor seriously. Disgusted by the escalating rumors of his son's actions, he seeks out the truth firsthand. His strong moral compass puts him at direct odds with his heir's reckless lifestyle, leading to a profound familial breach.
Father of Don Juan Tenorio
Buttarelli is the pragmatic and profit-driven owner of the Hosteria del Laurel. He admires the infamous local gallants for the wealth they bring to his establishment, turning a blind eye to their immorality as long as they spend generously. He readily facilitates the spying of the older noblemen for his own amusement and financial gain.
Host to Don Juan Tenorio
Marcos Ciutti is the villainous and deeply loyal servant to Don Juan. He enjoys the lavish indulgences that his master's wealth provides and shares Don Juan's lack of moral scruples. He willingly assists in executing deceptive plots, bribing staff, and organizing kidnappings without hesitation.
Employee of Don Juan Tenorio
Co-conspirator with Brigida
Dona Ana is a wealthy, loyal noblewoman engaged to Don Luis Mejia. She intends to remain faithful to her betrothed and protect her virtue from the scandalous wagers of Seville's gallants. Her trust in her household staff, however, leaves her home vulnerable to outside intrusion.
Fiancée of Don Luis Mejia
Employer of Lucia
Brigida is the duenna and attendant to Dona Ines inside the convent. Motivated heavily by money rather than duty, she proves sneaky and manipulative. She actively works to fill her young, isolated charge's head with romantic notions of the outside world, acting as a crucial inside agent for those seeking to breach the convent's walls.
Captain Centellas is a drinking companion of Don Juan and a military man. Though he partakes in the revelry of carnival season, he maintains a level of perception and respect for divine authority. He places his bets carefully, weighing the respective vices of his friends with a critical eye.
Friend of Don Juan Tenorio
Don Rafael is an impulsive companion to Don Luis who readily backs his friend in the wager against Don Juan. He is eager to witness the spectacle of the night and firmly believes in his friend's capacity for causing social damage.
Friend of Don Luis Mejia
Pascual is a dedicated servant to Don Luis. He is fiercely loyal, promising to serve his master to the death, yet possesses enough grounded sense to caution Don Luis against continuing his dangerous, escalating bets.
Employee of Don Luis Mejia
Lucia is the selfish and financially motivated maid to Dona Ana. Despite knowing her mistress's loyalties and engagement, her allegiance is easily bought for a promise of 200 gold pieces. She views the romantic intrigues of the nobility strictly as an opportunity for personal enrichment.
Employee of Dona Ana de Pantoja
Bribed by Don Juan Tenorio
The guardsmen represent the fragile law and order of sixteenth-century Seville. They attempt to police the brawls and schemes of the wealthy gallants, though they are often outmaneuvered or used as pawns in the nobles' complex rivalries.
Patroller of Don Juan Tenorio