Burke and Hare

Ambitious and morally flexible, Burke partners with Hare to profit from illicit cadavers. He rationalizes murder as a necessary step for financial security and social standing, yet shows moments of regret and loyalty to his associate. His arc culminates in a repentant mindset, expressed in his final sense of guilt.

Clever and opportunistic, Hare thrives on practical scheming and manipulation. He uses Burke as a pawn in a broader scheme to extract payment from Knox and protect himself from debt and danger. His willingness to extort even his own wife reveals a ruthless pragmatism.

A former prostitute drawn to Burke, Ginny becomes entangled in the murderous schemes. Her involvement shades into romance and risk, and she faces the fallout when the net of crime tightens around them all. Ultimately, she shares the danger and consequences of the partners’ choices.

Hare’s wife and innkeeper who navigates a precarious moral line. She consumes alcohol during a time of fear and illness but surprisingly embraces the illicit profits, collecting a ‘tax’ on each corpse. Her pragmatism adds a complicated domestic dimension to the crime story.

A physician who pays for cadavers and provides a plausible path to wealth through dissection. Knox’s collection of anatomical photographs hints at a broader network of medical fascination and exploitation. He represents the scientific veneer over criminal acts and the commodification of human bodies.

A henchman in McTavish’s orbit, Fergus is a figure of menace who participates in coercion and extortion. He embodies the intimidation side of power struggles that push Burke and Hare toward ever more drastic actions. His presence escalates the danger surrounding the inn and its inhabitants.

The militia captain who probes the rising death toll and correlates missing bodies with Knox’s collection. McLintock’s investigation pits law and order against political pressure to suppress scandal. His role anchors the pursuit of truth amid a web of influence and fear.