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.

Throughout the military phases of the novel, Sharpe demonstrates flawless command instincts, decisive leadership, and a solid grasp of the tactical situation. Possessed of an exceptional intuition regarding his opponent's tactics, Sharpe is always one step ahead in military matters. Sharpe also takes advantages of extant situations and is more of a pragmatist than an idealist.

Sharpe is the son of a prostitute, conceived during her...