Richard Sharpe

Richard Sharpe is the principle protagonist of the novel and is present in most—but not all—of the scenes in the narrative. Sharpe is described as a large man, six feet tall, with dark hair and a face disfigured by scarring. A combat veteran of numerous campaigns, Sharpe is in excellent physical condition, possesses superior tactical and strategic reasoning, and rarely makes substantial battlefield mistakes. Outside the sphere of infantry warfare, Sharpe is fairly normal in most respects. Sharpe spends many of his quiet moments fretting about the health of Teresa, his usually distant wife, and Antonia, their sickly infant daughter. On occasion, Sharpe also thinks of a woman friend, Jane Gibbons, who lives in England—Jane becomes a significant character in subsequent novels of the series. Throughout the military phases of the novel Sharpe demonstrates flawless command instincts, decisive leadership, and a...