The Browning Version

A stern, highly educated Latin and Greek master whose outward rigor masks deep loneliness and regret. His nearly twenty years at the school are defined by discipline, formality, and a quiet longing for connection. The climactic farewell speech reveals his capacity for genuine emotion and self-reflection.

Andrew's wife, emotionally neglectful and prone to manipulation. She pursues an affair with Frank, using flirtation and distance to wound her husband while seeking her own sense of flux. By the end, she begins to reassess their relationship as she witnesses Andrew's vulnerability.

The younger replacement teacher who admires Andrew's control but also sees its limitations. He embodies a more modern, lenient approach to teaching and serves as a foil to Andrew’s rigidity, learning from the older man’s example.

A popular, energetic science teacher whose modern methods contrast with Andrew's stern pedagogy. His relationship with Laura complicates the classroom dynamics and highlights the consequences of romantic entanglements in a school setting.

A quiet and perceptive pupil who senses Andrew's loneliness and offers a personal, symbolic gift. His empathy and act of reaching out catalyze Andrew’s emotional release and signal a door to mutual understanding between teacher and student.

A supporting character linked to Laura's social world; her presence contributes to the social dynamics surrounding the marriage and school life.

A member of the school’s staff whose presence reinforces the formal, disciplined environment of the institution. He embodies the weight of tradition and the expectations of professional conduct within the school.

A doctor at the school whose role underlines the physical and moral boundaries of a strict academic world. He represents the institutional framework surrounding the students and teachers.