Gulliver's Travels Characters

Gulliver's children with his wife, whom he can't stand being around after returning to England from the island of the Houyhnhmns.

Richard Sympson is Gulliver’s cousin and the editor of his travels. Gulliver strongly resents Sympson’s edits.

Mary Burton is Gulliver’s neglected wife, left at home for years while he travels and then spurned and detested as a filthy Yahoo upon his return from the Houyhnhmns.

Gulliver’s neglected daughter.

Gulliver’s neglected son.

The inhabitants of Lilliput, the Lilliputians are just a few inches tall. They are engaged in extended battles with their neighbors, the Blefuscans.

King of Lilliput, the Lilliputian King is initially welcoming, generous, and friendly with Gulliver but he grows petulant, cold, and vengeful after Gulliver won’t help him enslave the Blefuscians.

Queen of Lilliput, the Lilliputian Queen never forgives Gulliver for urinating on the palace, despite the fact that his action saved the palace from destruction.

The sour-tempered treasurer of Lilliput who dislikes Gulliver and suspects Gulliver of having an affair with his wife

The admiral of Lilliput who also dislikes Gulliver.

The principal secretary of Lilliput who suggests putting out Gulliver’s eyes as a “gentler” alternative to death.

The Lilliputian who warns Gulliver about the court’s plan to put out his eyes.

The neighbors to the Lilliputians with whom they have been engaged in extended battles. Gulliver steals their battle ships and prompts them to make peace with Lilliput, but eventually befriends the Blefuscans and refuses to enslave them against the Lilliputian King’s wishes.

The king of the Blefuscans who takes Gulliver in after he escapes from the Lilliputians and helps him prepare his voyage back to England.

The inhabitants of Brobdingnag, the Brobdingnagians are giants tens of feet tall. They are as big compared to humans as humans are to Lilliputians.

Though he at first can’t believe that Gulliver isn’t just a piece of clockwork, the Brobdingnagian King comes around to Gulliver and happily discusses matters of state with him. He comes away from these discussions rather disgusted by humans, though.

The Brobdingnagian Queen purchases Gulliver from the Brobdingnagian Farmer and grows very fond of Gulliver, proving herself a kind and generous caregiver. Nevertheless, she is highly amused by Gulliver’s mishaps.

Gulliver’s primary caretaker in Brobdingnag, Glumdalclitch is a compassionate guardian, though she is not above laughing at Gulliver’s mishaps.

Gulliver’s primary tormenter in Brobdingnag, The Brobdingnagian Queen’s Dwarf is cruel and devious and always looking for a way to humiliate Gulliver.

The Brobdingnagian Farmer is Glumdalclitch’s father and Gulliver’s first care-taker in Brobdingnag. He makes money touring Gulliver through the country as a freak show.

The wife of the Brobdingnagian Farmer.

The inhabitants of the floating island, the Laputians are totally consumed by complex mathematic, astronomical, and musical theory and so disdain common sense that they lack all practical knowledge and can barely function as bodies in the world.

People who live in the land of Lagado, which stands beneath the floating island where the Laputians live.

A shunned inhabitant of Lagado, Munodi believes in common sense and practical knowledge and lives on a property that resembles a well-built English estate and serves as an oasis for Gulliver amidst the widespread chaos and dysfunctionality of Lagado.

The members of the grand academy in Lagado, the projectors work cheerfully away on utterly useless projects and pursue vain applications of theory.

A sorcerer, the Glubbdubdribbian Governor has the power to summon the ghosts of the dead and enables Gulliver to meet the dead of history.

A tyrannical ruler, the King of Luggnagg makes his subjects approach him by crawling on their bellies licking the floor.

The inhabitants of Luggnagg.

A young boy Gulliver hires to interpret for him.

The Struldbrug’s are Luggnaggian immortals identifiable at birth by a red ring on their forehead. While they never die, they do age, and they are social outcasts due to their jealousy, pettiness, and generally obnoxious character.

The Japanese Emperor gives Gulliver permission to sail back to Europe on the Dutch ship.

The member of the Houyhnhmns who first takes Gulliver in, teaches him Houyhnhmn ways, and discusses human society with him. Gulliver holds the master horse in the highest esteem and kisses his hoof upon parting from him.

Filthy, greedy, gluttonous, selfish, and dumb, the Yahoos are the embodiment of everything gross and crude in human nature. Properly speaking, they are degenerate humans who live among the Houyhnhmns. Yet, by novel’s end, Gulliver is referring to every other human being as a Yahoo.

A kind and gentle Portuguese sea captain who finds Gulliver on an island after he leaves the Houyhnhmns and takes him against his will back into human society.

The wife of Gulliver, who barely appears.