The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Character Analysis

Coriolanus Snow

The novel’s 18-year-old protagonist, Coriolanus comes from a wealthy Capitol family. However, his father, Crassus Snow, lost his munitions empire in the war with the rebels and died, along with Coriolanus’s mother. Coriolanus… read analysis of Coriolanus Snow

Sejanus Plinth

Sejanus is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and a mentor in the Hunger Games. Coriolanus and many of his classmates treat Sejanus coldly, as Sejanus isn’t Capitol-born. Rather, his father, a munitions magnate from District… read analysis of Sejanus Plinth

Lucy Gray Baird

Lucy Gray is the female tribute from District 12. Lucy Gray proves herself to be a cutthroat performer when, at the reaping, she slips a snake down a girl’s dress and then sings a… read analysis of Lucy Gray Baird

Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Dr. Gaul is the elderly Head Gamemaker. She’s also in charge of the science lab that produces muttations, or modified animals intended to be used as weapons or for other military-adjacent purposes. She… read analysis of Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Dean Casca Highbottom

Dean Highbottom is the dean of students at the Academy. He’s also credited with inventing the Hunger Games. But while he holds these prestigious roles and distinctions, Highbottom is also a known morphling addict, which… read analysis of Dean Casca Highbottom

Tigris Snow

Tigris is Coriolanus’s cousin. She’s a few years older than Coriolanus and has been living with him and the Grandma’am since the war, when she was also orphaned. Tigris is kind, caring, and intelligent… read analysis of Tigris Snow

The Grandma’am

The Grandma’am is Coriolanus and Tigris’s grandmother. Tigris dubbed her “the Grandma’am” long ago, as other familiar names for a grandparent didn’t seem to fit such an imperious woman. The Grandma’am has been caring… read analysis of The Grandma’am

Crassus Snow

Crassus Snow is Coriolanus’s deceased father. Before the war, he was a munitions magnate whose business was based in District 13. He lost everything in the war, when nuclear bombs flattened 13 and destroyed… read analysis of Crassus Snow

Coriolanus’s Mother

Coriolanus’s mother died in childbirth right after the rebels bombed the Capitol at the beginning of the war. She made Coriolanus feel safe and loved. To hold onto this feeling, Coriolanus keeps her rose… read analysis of Coriolanus’s Mother

Strabo Plinth

Strabo Plinth is a munitions magnate from District Two. With the fortune he amassed during the war (after the Snows’ munitions operation in District 13 was obliterated), he brought his wife, Ma Plinth, and… read analysis of Strabo Plinth

Mrs. Plinth “Ma”

Ma is Sejanus’s mother and Strabo Plinth’s wife. She’s a stout, plain woman who, according to Coriolanus, will never look like she belongs in the Capitol; she looks out of place in… read analysis of Mrs. Plinth “Ma”

Jessup Diggs

Jessup is the male tribute from District 12; Lysistrata is his mentor. Because of his stout stature and his obvious strength, Jessup is an unexpected favorite to win the Hunger Games. He’s quiet, though he… read analysis of Jessup Diggs

Marcus

Marcus is the male tribute from District Two. Sejanus is his mentor, though this isn’t a good thing for either of them: the two were classmates when Sejanus still lived in District Two, and Marcus… read analysis of Marcus

Pluribus Bell

Pluribus is an old friend of the Snow family. He and his partner used to run a nightclub, but since the war, Pluribus has been making his living selling black market items. During the war… read analysis of Pluribus Bell

Clemensia Dovecote

Clemensia is one of Coriolanus’s close friends and a mentor in the Hunger Games. Her tribute is Reaper. She dislikes the tributes and refuses to see them as real people; she finds Reaper’s… read analysis of Clemensia Dovecote

Lysistrata Vickers

Lysistrata is one of Coriolanus’s friends. She mentors Jessup from District 12, so she and Coriolanus (whose tribute, Lucy Gray, is also from District 12) end up spending more time together than… read analysis of Lysistrata Vickers

Arachne Crane

Arachne is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and the mentor to Brandy, the girl from District 10. Coriolanus thinks of Arachne as being like a sister, as the two grew up together in the… read analysis of Arachne Crane

Bobbin

Bobbin is the male tribute from District Eight; Juno Phipps is his mentor. He’s a small boy who initially doesn’t attract much attention—until his interview, when he details all the ways he could kill someone… read analysis of Bobbin

Lucky Flickerman

Lucky Flickerman is a weatherman with the Capitol News Network, but Dr. Gaul taps him to host the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Lucky struggles in the role, often with humorously terrible results: since the Games… read analysis of Lucky Flickerman

Lepidus Malmsey

Lepidus is a young reporter with the Capitol News who’s assigned to cover the Hunger Games. He’s the first to interview Lucy Gray and Coriolanus, and he’s later assigned to cover the mentors in… read analysis of Lepidus Malmsey

Brandy

Brandy is the female tribute from District 10. Arachne is her mentor. Brandy doesn’t survive to the start of the games, as she slits Arachne’s throat when Arachne taunts her with food and Peacekeepers shoot… read analysis of Brandy

Festus Creed

Festus is one of Coriolanus’s classmates, a good friend, and Coral’s mentor during the Hunger Games. Coriolanus describes Festus as upstanding and solid. Festus gives Coriolanus the idea to propose introducing betting to… read analysis of Festus Creed

Persephone Price

Persephone is one of Coriolanus’s classmates; she’s assigned to mentor Mizzen during the Hunger Games. Though Persephone is gorgeous and nice, Coriolanus avoids her—he once witnessed her father, Nero Price, saw the leg… read analysis of Persephone Price

Pollo and Didi Ring

Pollo and Didi are twin classmates of Coriolanus’s; they’re assigned the tributes from District 6. Coriolanus enjoys the twins, as they’re bright, polite, and aren’t afraid to dress alike and broadcast that they’re twins… read analysis of Pollo and Didi Ring

Dr. Wane

Dr. Wane is a doctor at one of the Capitol hospitals; he oversees care for Coriolanus, Clemensia, Gaius, and the other mentors hurt during the bombing of the arena. Coriolanus distrusts him… read analysis of Dr. Wane

Reaper

Reaper is the male tribute from District 11. He’s odd from the beginning: he apologizes to his fellow tributes before the Games start for killing them, and he promises to avenge their deaths later. During… read analysis of Reaper

Mayor Lipp

Mayor Lipp is the mayor of District 12. He has one daughter, Mayfair. At the reaping, he hits Lucy Gray across the face after Lucy Gray puts a snake down Mayfair’s dress. He… read analysis of Mayor Lipp

Mayfair Lipp

Mayfair Lipp is Mayor Lipp’s daughter. She’s generally disliked in District 12, as her father allows her to run wild. After she began seeing Billy Taupe romantically while Billy Taupe was still seeing Lucy… read analysis of Mayfair Lipp

Maude Ivory

Maude Ivory is the youngest member of the Covey in District 12. She’s a cousin to Lucy Gray and Barb Azure and, like them, she’s an orphan. However, Maude Ivory is one of the brightest… read analysis of Maude Ivory

Billy Taupe

Billy Taupe is a former member of the Covey and Lucy Gray’s former lover. Coriolanus describes him as being ruled by big, powerful emotions and sees him as a rival. Billy Taupe was kicked… read analysis of Billy Taupe

Arlo Chance

Arlo Chance is a rebel in District 12. Coriolanus and Sejanus are ordered to attend his hanging—Arlo planted a bomb in a coal mine, killing three people. Arlo was involved with a young woman named… read analysis of Arlo Chance

Bug

Bug is one of Coriolanus’s bunkmates and a fellow Peacekeeper in District 12. He’s a kind, quiet boy from the districts. He comes from a district where children help in fruit orchards, so when… read analysis of Bug

Dr. Kay

Dr. Kay is an assistant scientist in Dr. Gaul’s lab. She’s older and wears bright pink reading glasses. Coriolanus runs into her in the lab during the Hunger Games, but he doesn’t meet her… read analysis of Dr. Kay

Spruce

Spruce is a rebel in District 12 and Lil’s brother. He, Billy Taupe, and Sejanus conspire to run away with Lil and weapons, but things don’t go according to plan: in an altercation… read analysis of Spruce

Commander Hoff

Commander Hoff runs the Peacekeepers’ base in District 12. Coriolanus doesn’t see much of him, but Hoff seems to enjoy playing mean jokes on Peacekeepers: he sends armed guards to fetch Coriolanus before he… read analysis of Commander Hoff

Lil

Lil is a District 12 resident and is somehow related to or involved with Arlo Chance; the novel never reveals how they’re connected. After she screams during Arlo’s hanging—and Arlo’s last words are telling… read analysis of Lil

Livia Cardew

Livia is one of Coriolanus’s classmates. She’s assigned the District One boy and, to Coriolanus’s disgust, she openly gloats about it—District One tributes are usually favored to win. She pouts later when her tribute… read analysis of Livia Cardew

Lamina

Lamina is the female tribute from District Seven; Pup Harrington is her mentor. She sets herself apart early in the Games by climbing the structure Marcus is hanging from and killing him as a mercy… read analysis of Lamina

Gaius Breen

Gaius Breen is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and a mentor in the Hunger Games. He loses both legs in the arena bombing and dies several days into the Hunger Games of his injuries. As… read analysis of Gaius Breen

Minor Characters

Pup Harrington

Pup is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and mentors Wovey during the Hunger Games. He’s a loud and obnoxious boy who’s constantly picking food out of his braces. He resents having to mentor Wovey and isn’t a good loser when Wovey ultimately dies.

Nero Price

Nero Price is a wealthy man in the Capitol and Persephone’s father. As a child during the war, Coriolanus witnessed Nero hack the leg off of a maid who died in the street of the cold, presumably to feed his family.

Wovey

Wovey is the female tribute from District Eight; Hilarius Heavensbee is her mentor. Wovey is tiny and sickly; nobody expects her to last long. She dies in the Hunger Games when she comes across an almost-empty water bottle that Lucy Gray poisoned with rat poison.

Beanpole

Beanpole is a Capitol boy who joins the Peacekeepers in District 12 at the same time Coriolanus does. He’s tall and thin—hence his nickname (his real name is Junius)—and he’s terrible at drills. When Sejanus joins the Peacekeepers, he helps Beanpole with his drills.

Smiley

Smiley is one of Coriolanus’s bunkmates and a fellow Peacekeeper in District 12. He’s adept at bartering and has a friend who’s a nurse at the base’s clinic, so he funnels a lot of gossip from her to his bunkmates.

Tam Amber

Tam Amber plays mandolin in the Covey. He’s a quiet boy whom older Covey members found in a box as an infant.

Clerk Carmine

Clerk Carmine is the fiddle player in the Covey. He’s also Billy Taupe’s brother, but he’s loyal to the Covey rather than to his brother.

Barb Azure

Barb Azure is the bass player in the Covey.

Vipsania Sickle

Vipsania is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and the mentor for Treech from District Two. Coriolanus dislikes her.

Hilarius Heavensbee

Hilarius is one of Coriolanus’s classmates and mentors Wovey in the Games. He has an entitled attitude, and his family is extremely wealthy. Coriolanus dislikes him.

Coral

Coral is the female tribute from District Four; Festus is her mentor.

Domitia Whimsiwick

Domitia is Tanner’s mentor.

Io Jasper

Io is a classmate of Coriolanus’s, and she’s Circ’s mentor in the Hunger Games.

Circ

Circ is District Three’s male tribute to the Hunger Games. Io Jasper is his mentor.

Urban Canville

Urban is Teslee’s mentor in the Hunger Games and one of Coriolanus’s classmates. Coriolanus finds him entitled and insufferable.

Treech

Treech is the male tribute from District Seven. Vipsania is his mentor. He’s one of the final tributes in the ring; Lucy Gray kills him with one of Dr. Gaul’s neon snakes.

Felix Ravinstill

Felix is Dill’s mentor in the Hunger Games. He’s also the president’s son, so Coriolanus suspects Felix receives special treatment.

Juno Phipps

Juno Phipps is Bobbin’s mentor in the Hunger Games.

Mizzen

Mizzen is the male tribute from District Seven. Persephone Price is his mentor.

Tanner

Tanner is the male tribute from District 10. His mentor is Domitia Whimsiwick.

Dill

Dill is the female tribute from District 11; Felix Ravinstill is her mentor. Though she’s small, she’s menacing when Coriolanus ends up trapped in the cage with the tributes.

Iphigenia Moss

Iphigenia is Sol’s mentor in the Hunger Games. When Sol is killed, Iphigenia can’t remember her name.

Sol

Sol is the female tribute from District 5; Iphigenia is her mentor.

Professor Crispus Demigloss

Professor Demigloss teaches history at the Academy.

Professor Agrippa Sickle

Professor Sickle is the physical education professor at the Academy.

Professor Satyria Click

Satyria is a professor at the Academy and Coriolanus’s mentor. She’s often tipsy, though Coriolanus appreciates her advice and guidance.

President Ravinstill

President Ravinstill is the president of Panem.

Teslee

A tribute from District Three.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Characters