The World’s Wife Character Profiles

By Benjamin Mayo

Charles Darwin: Charles Darwin thought up the basis of evolution; the idea
of natural selection, explaining biodiversity. His ideas were published in the
“Origin of Species”, famous for the revelation of the adapted finches. He
received lots of opposition to this at the time, but it is generally accepted as
true today.

Medusa: In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, a female monster,

who turned people into stone if they glanced into her eyes. Eventually she
was killed by Perseus, who beheaded her, using it as a weapon to kill
enemies.

Faustus: Faustus is the protagonist of German legend. He makes a deal with

the Devil, giving his soul away for omniscience for 10 years. He enjoys his
time of living, but his soul is supposedly corrupted, and when 10 years ends,
he is taken to Hell by the Devil.

Kray Twins: The two brothers, Reginald and Ronald Kray, were the head
figures behind organized crime in the East End, London, in the 1950s. They
took part in robberies, assaults, tortures and murders. They were eventually
imprisoned for life in 1969, even after being interviewed on television in the
early years of the same decade.

King Midas: According to Greek myth, Midas could turn anything he

touched into solid gold. The story says that Midas was greedy, and wished
that anything he touched would turn to gold – to make him the richest man
in the world. However, that whilst it did make him rich, he was not happy –
as he could not eat or drink anymore.

Eurydice: According to Greek myth, the daughter of Apollo – named

Eurydice – was in love to Orpheus. However, Eurydice stepped on a snake
and died. Orpheus goes to save Eurydice from the Underworld. He lulls
Cerberus, the Underworld’s guardian, to sleep, to save Eurydice. However,
there was a condition attached to Eurydice’s return; Orpheus cannot look
back at the Underworld until he had reached the surface. However, at the
first speck of daylight, he turned around to look at Eurydice, who
subsequently vanished instantly.

Lazarus: Lazarus features in the Bible – the New Testament. The

surrounding people called on Jesus to save him, as Lazurus was seriously ill.
However, when Jesus arrived, Lazarus was already found dead. Jesus felt
guilty, so he brought Lazarus back to life.

Sigmund Freud: Freud born 6 May 1856, was a Jewish Austrian

neurologist who founded a school for psychiatrics. He developed theories
about the unconscious mind. However, he is known for work on sexual
desires being the primary motivation for humans and the use of dreams as
insights into a person’s current feelings. Some of Freud’s techniques have
been disproven, he still has a major influence in modern social sciences.

Tiresias: When Tiresias was walking in the woods one day, he came upon
two great serpents having sex; he struck them with his staff, and was
transformed into a woman. Seven years later, he passed by the same place
and came upon the same two serpents; he struck them again with the staff
and was turned back into a man. Some time later, Zeus and Hera were
arguing over who had more pleasure in sex, the man or the woman: Zeus
said it was the woman, while Hera claimed men got more pleasure from the
act. To settle the argument, they consulted Tiresias, since he had
experienced life as both sexes, and Tiresias sided with Zeus. In her anger,
Hera struck Tiresias blind. Since Zeus could not undo the act of another
deity, he gave Tiresias the gift of prophecy in compensation.

Demeter: Demeter was – in Greek myth - the goddess of the harvest, who
looked after crops, the soil of the Earth, the seasons, and harvests. She also
controlled the sanctity of marriage and the cycle of life.

Salome: Salome, appeared in the New Testament. She is depiteced as a an

icon of dangerous female sexual appearance, including erotic dances, or
concentrate on her lighthearted and cold foolishness that, according to the
gospels, led to John the Baptist's death.