Joseph

A gifted Hebrew slave whose integrity and talent for dream interpretation propel him from Potiphar's household to the prison, and ultimately to power as Egypt's governor. He endures betrayal with dignity and uses adversity to safeguard his family. His emotional growth culminates in a dramatic revelation of his true identity to his brothers and a resolve to reunite the clan during famine.

As Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh's guard, he commands respect and enforces discipline in his household. His trust in Joseph is tested by his wife's seduction and the resulting accusation, leading to Joseph's imprisonment. Later shifts in power place Potiphar under Joseph's administration, illustrating a dynamic reversal of authority.

A schemer who seeks Joseph's affections and then falsely accuses him of rape, sparking the central conflict. Her actions catalyze Joseph's fall from grace and set in motion his time in prison. Her role underscores themes of desire, manipulation, and the consequences of slander in a patriarchal society.

Jacob's wife and Joseph's mother, whose death after Benjamin's birth shapes the family’s grief and drives the older brothers' decisions. Her memory influences Joseph's loyalty to family across generations. She embodies maternal loss within the larger saga of lineage and survival.

Jacob's wife and part of the patriarchal matriarchy, Leah adds to the family tension and lineage that influence Joseph's fate. She witnesses the complex dynamics of love, jealousy, and duty within the clan. Her presence highlights how lineage and kinship shape the plot's emotional stakes.

The ruler whose troubling dreams prompt Joseph's rise to power as governor. He embodies supreme authority and the state-level response to famine. Under his sovereignty, Egypt leverages Joseph's talents to avert disaster, demonstrating the interplay between leadership and providence.

The overseer who torments Joseph for defying deference, then loses standing as Joseph's interpretation skills prove pivotal. He represents the brutal enforcement of hierarchy and the eventual shift in power toward Joseph's administration. His arc mirrors the fall and reintegration of old guard authority.

Joseph's wife, granted during his rise to power, who shares in his status and helps him establish a household in the new role. She bears his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, marking the expansion of Joseph's lineage within Egypt.

The patriarch of the clan, father to Joseph and the rest of the brothers, whose longing and faith tether the family across continents. His choices and heartbreak influence the younger generation's actions and the eventual reunion in Egypt. He embodies the legacy and burden of ancestral responsibility.