World Without End

Gwenda is the impoverished daughter of landless laborers. She starts out as a girl who is forced to steal to survive and ends up as the matriarch of a family on its way to more economic prosperity and freedom. Her evolution is driven by her intelligence, physical strength, and knowledge of human nature. As a girl, Gwenda goes along with her father’s pickpocketing schemes because she respects parental authority and sees herself as a source of economic support for her family. These were common roles for children and women during the period. As a teen, she is forced to reject these roles after her father sells her to a gang of thieves. She uses her wits and physical strength to escape and kill two men in the gang. Her willingness to kill to be free is a moment of assertion that extends to rejecting her parents’ estimation that she is a mere “commodity to be sold” (213).

She uses her intelligence and knowledge of human nature to secure the husband of her choice and gain greater economic opportunities for her family, but she does so at great cost. She survives being sexually coerced by Ralph and participating in violence by killing both Ralph and his bailiff Alan Fernhill. This violence scars her, but by the end of the novel, she is secure in the knowledge that—unlike her—her “grandchildren would be free and independent” (1002). Her character arc shows the limited options for ordinary women during the period and how important women like Gwenda were to their families.

Godwyn is the well-connected prior of Kingsbridge after the death of Prior Anthony, his uncle. Godwyn professes his Christian faith, but he is primarily driven by his self-interest and an ambition to dominate others. He rejects the values of humility, obedience, and anti-materialism, beliefs that are central to being a monk. As a young monk, he fails to achieve what he wants because he ignores the importance of interpersonal relationships and the internal politics of Kingsbridge Priory. Under his mother’s tutelage, he learns to be ruthless and methodical to achieve his aims. The church is an important political force in his community, so his Machiavellian approach to leadership sends ripples of consequences throughout the town and region.

His self-interest leads to negative consequences for himself and the town. His spendthrift management of the priory and theft of the funds of the nunnery leave the church unable to consistently maintain the buildings, lands, and structures for which it is responsible. When he happily foists these responsibilities onto the town, he gives up some of the church’s control over the town.

While his theft of the nunnery’s funds is not enough to lead to dismissal, his abandonment of the town damages his reputation and that of the church, whose lack leaves the townspeople morally adrift as they confront the plague. Ill with the plague, Godwyn dies after falling into the grave where he hid the treasury of the priory. Follett uses his character to represent the waning influence of the church in some aspects of life during this period and the consequences of corruption on those who create and depend upon the church.

Merthin starts out as the eldest son of an impoverished knight. When his family essentially goes bankrupt, his life as a knight’s son ends and he is thrust into a world in which talent and initiative are his only resources. When Earl Roland spitefully apprentices him to carpenter Elfric Builder, Merthin discovers that he has a gift for creating structures and devices in three dimensions. His talent rather than rank propels him past the disaster of being dismissed from his apprenticeship after Griselda, Elfric’s daughter, accuses him of seducing her. Using his talent for construction, he secures contracts and creates machines that provide value to the town and allow him to be economically self-sustaining even before he joins the powerful town guild.

Despite his financial success, Merthin has a disappointing love life. Caris's rejection of him leads him to Florence, where he thrives in the more sophisticated building industry. The plague kills his wife, leading him to return to England to pursue his ambition to build England’s tallest cathedral in Kingsbridge. His conflicts with his brother, the monks of Kingsbridge, and entrenched conservative craftsmen like Elfric are no match for his ambition, however. As he ages, he becomes more politically savvy and learns to navigate around the interests of powerful people. His love for Caris and more agile political thinking allow him to create the Hospital of St. Elizabeth and the new cathedral, both of which are testaments to his love for Caris, his town, and his craft.

Ralph is the son of an impoverished knight. His main ambition in life is to regain and exceed his father’s status by becoming a lord. With a killer instinct, great physical strength, and no qualms about violating social norms, Ralph manages to achieve his dream in stops and starts. His violence undoes him in the end, however. Ralph’s major flaw is a lack of empathy that makes him dangerous because he engages in acts of violence and coercion he knows to be wrong but rationalizes away.

Ralph’s bad acts are many. He kills his first wife, sexually coerces and rapes girls and women (especially those to whom he owes a duty of care), pursues a decades-long revenge campaign against Wulfric after Wulfric breaks his nose, sacks a nunnery, rapes Annet to get back at Wulfric, and makes decisions designed to impoverish Gwenda (the wife of Wulfric) and her children. Despite these dangerous behaviors, Ralph gets a pass from his lord and others because they have use for his violent tendencies on the battlefield. Ralph’s undoing comes at the hands of Gwenda and his son, Sam, conceived during an exploitative sexual encounter with Gwenda. Follett uses Ralph to epitomize the dangers of unfettered power that arose out of the feudal system.

Thomas (later Brother Thomas) is a knight whose life changes in a stroke when he has the misfortune of guarding Edward II after Queen Isabella deposes the king. After the king escapes to a secret exile, Thomas runs away bearing a letter with this dangerous secret. In the struggle to hide the letter, Thomas is wounded and later loses his arm. Thomas abandons his wife and children to enter the safety of the Kingsbridge monastery and keep the king’s secret.

Once in the monastery, he thrives in an all-men setting where his attraction to men is not out of the ordinary. He is one of the few monks who embodies the trait of humility, and his actions on behalf of Caris and others serve as the one check on Godwyn’s harmful decisions. Although he starts off life as a fighting man, he uses violence infrequently and only in need, such as when he organizes the militia to capture Ralph and his outlaws and when he fights off the men who sack the nunnery. He dies of dementia and old age. He maintains his character traits of loyalty and steadfastness to the end.

Lady Phillipa is married to Sir William of Shiring and later to Ralph after the earl’s death. Despite her nobility, she uses her influence on the powerful men in her orbit to protect the weak and the powerless. She protects Wulfric from punishment after the altercation with Ralph and supports Annet in pursuing a trial after Ralph rapes Annet. Despite her right to refuse marriage after the death of her husband, she marries Ralph to protect her daughter from Ralph. Even with the power that comes with being a noblewoman, she is subject to the constraints faced by many women during this period, and marriage to Ralph is the result. She uses her astute political sense to come to an arrangement with Ralph to live her life free of him, however. Her character shows the important role women played in the political and economic lives of their families, but it also shows that oppression based on gender extends across classes.

Philemon rises from abject poverty as Gwenda’s brother and leaves the narrative as an ambassador to the pope. In between, he uses theft, blackmail, and deception to achieve power. Initially a protégé of Godwyn’s, he learns to use unethical means to achieve power by watching Godwyn skirt and violate his religious vows. Philemon is particularly motivated by avarice, specifically of gold, jewels, and money. He is cunning enough to conceal these thefts, for the most part, and this same cunning makes him a shrewd exploiter of weaknesses in people and institutions. He leverages misogyny, fear of the plague, and a general weariness with him to become prior, be selected to become a bishop, and then to work for the pope.

Annet is the daughter of the prosperous peasant Perkin. Annet’s life is shaped by her beauty and desire for economic security. Wulfric’s desire to protect her leads to the fight with Ralph, which in turn leads to negative, lifelong consequences for Wulfric, Gwenda, and the children they share.

Anthony is the uncle of Godwyn and Caris and brother to Petranilla. His faith that God will provide whatever is needed molds him into a passive, ineffective prior who neglects the church and town infrastructure.

Matthew is a barber and lay-surgeon who uses his knowledge of war wounds to save Earl Roland’s life. He is an example of a man who uses practical knowledge and observation instead of relying on authorities to achieve good outcomes.

Betty is a baker in the town and a member of the guild who supports Caris’s efforts to improve the town. She is outspoken in her efforts to counter the authority of men.

Bessie is the daughter of the owner of the Bell Inn and one of Merthin’s lovers. She dies of the plague and leaves the inn to Merthin.

Beth is treasurer during Cecilia’s time as prioress. She helps uncover Godwyn’s theft of the nunnery’s funds.

Alice is Caris’s sister and the wife of Elfric Builder. Her jealousy of all that Caris achieves leads her to support the false charges of witchcraft against Caris.

Elfric is Merthin’s former master and an indifferent craftsman whose shoddy, overpriced work damages the church and bridge. He gives false testimony in Caris’s trial for witchcraft. He represents the more conservative political elements in the town. He dies of the plague.

Griselda is the daughter of Elfric Builder and stepdaughter of Alice Wooler. She claims that Merthin impregnated her, which forces Merthin to pursue a different professional path when Griselda’s father ends Merthin’s apprenticeship.

Carlus joins forces with Brother Simeon to assume control of the priory after Prior Anthony’s death. After Godwyn engineers Carlus’s dropping of a precious relic, Carlus withdraws from the election. His deep faith protects him from hypocrisy, but he has a lack of political acumen.

Buonaventura is a Florentine wool trader. He convinces Merthin to think beyond life in Kingsbridge.

The prioress of the nunnery at Kingsbridge, Cecilia serves as a foil to Godwyn. She is thrifty, politically astute, and navigates around challenges to women’s authority using the power of the church. She is also Caris’s mentor. She dies of the plague.

A violent member of Tam Hiding’s gang of outlaws, he purchases Gwenda from Joby to exploit her sexually. Gwenda kills him during the collapse of the bridge.

Claude is a church canon as well as assistant to Henri. He replaces Philemon as the bishop of Shiring after Caris, Merthin, and Gregory intervene. He is also Henri’s lover.

Elizabeth is the well-read, beautiful daughter of Sairy. When Merthin rejects her love, she enters the convent and becomes an enemy of Caris. She becomes a political pawn in Godwyn’s schemes.

Davey is the enterprising son of Wulfric and Gwenda. He becomes obsessed with increasing his wealth and marries Amabel, ending the feud between Gwenda and Annet.

Edward is the son of Edward II and Queen Isabella. He becomes king after his mother deposes his father. Edward’s effectiveness in battle, belief in order, and willingness to delegate to subordinates make him an effective political leader. He is a pragmatic king who makes decisions based on how they will impact his ability to wield power, not according to any moral code. His pragmatism and belief in using violence to achieve political aims allow Ralph to abuse his power.

Alan is Ralph’s bailiff and henchman in committing crimes and dealing out violence to subordinates. He holds down Annet as Ralph rapes her, kills and robs alongside Ralph when the two are outlaws, and procures women and girls for Ralph. He dies after Gwenda kills him.

Sir Gerald is the father of Ralph and Merthin and such a poor financial manager that the family goes bankrupt. Eager to reclaim his lost status, he looks the other way as Ralph becomes increasingly violent. He ignores Merthin’s accomplishments because he sees trade as beneath him.

Lady Maud is the mother of Ralph and Merthin.

Henri is the bishop of Shiring and a politically astute power in the church. He is also a man who has a secret life partner in his assistant, Canon Claude. He is an ally of Caris and the town, but his pragmatic approach to politics is always focused on protecting the interests and values of the church. He is a foil to leaders such as Godwyn and Philemon, both of whom place self-interest above the interests of the church.

Tam Hiding is both a character and the name given to the leaders of a gang of outlaws. Tam tells Caris that Godwyn and the monks are hiding from the plague at St. John in the Woods. He dies of the plague.

Isabella is the wife of Edward II, lover of Roger Mortimer, and mother of Edward III. Her effort to conceal the truth behind Edward II’s escape is the inciting incident of the novel.

Joby is the father of Gwenda and Philemon. He is a poor laborer whose disability prevents him from earning a living. He sells Gwenda for a cow, a choice that leads her to her first act of rebellion—killing her captor.

Joseph is a monk-physician of Kingsbridge. Joseph relies on his authority as a monk and student of ancient texts on medicine to guide his medical decisions. His practice of medicine does little to ensure the survival of his patients. Caris is inspired to more practical study of medicine due to his example.

Lolla is the daughter of Merthin and Silvia. She is a headstrong teen who rebels against the authority and morality of her father as order unravels during the plague. Her rebellion shows the impact of the plague on young people coming of age during this period.

A lawyer who later becomes a trusted councilor to Edward III, Gregory is a shrewd, pragmatic man who uses power to achieve the ends of his clients and later the king, regardless of the cost to others.

Mair is a beautiful nun of Kingsbridge. Mair falls in love with Caris and is her companion as she travels to France to secure justice for the nunnery.

Murdo is a corrupt Benedictine friar who uses emotion to whip his listeners into violence and advance accusations of witchcraft. He is a political pawn who plays a role in accusations against Caris, Godwyn’s election to prior, and a breakdown in moral order after the plague.

Nell is condemned to death for witchcraft at the behest of Father Murdo, who uses her ravings and random bad events as evidence of her maliciousness. She drowns in the bridge collapse.

Odila is the beautiful daughter of Earl William and Lady Phillipa. 

Petranilla the elder is Godwyn’s mother and Caris’s aunt. With a ruthless political mind honed during her family’s climb to prosperity, Petronilla teaches Godwyn how to use leverage and politics to become the prior. She dies of the plague.

Philip is the French monarch. His inability to build a united coalition to fight the English during the Hundred Years’ War leads to the losses that appear in the novel.

Nate is the bailiff in Wigleigh under several lords, including Ralph. A corrupt man, he changes the course of Gwenda and Wulfric’s lives by denying the poor couple the chance to own their own land and informing on Davey, Gwenda’s son, when the young man attempts to plant his own crops.

Richard is a bishop and the youngest son of Earl Roland. After Godwyn catches Richard making love with a young noblewoman scheduled to marry in the church, Richard is forced to support Godwyn’s efforts to become prior. He dies at the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years’ War.

Roland is a ruthless noble whose men attempt to assassinate Thomas. He primarily values his status and war, leading him to save Ralph after Ralph’s trial. He dies at the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years’ War.

The violent, headstrong product of Ralph’s sexual coercion of Gwenda, Sam goes from being a laborer to being a squire after Ralph recognizes him and saves him from hanging for the murder of Jonno Reeve.

Silvia is Merthin’s Florentine wife and mother of Lolla. She is a relatively slight character who dies of the plague, inspiring Merthin to return to England.

Sime is an arrogant, Oxford-educated monk physician of Kingsbridge. Sime becomes a political pawn of Philemon when Philemon appoints him to run Caris’s hospital.

Still just a schoolgirl when the king gives her in marriage to Ralph, Tilly flees Ralph to take sanctuary in the Kingsbridge nunnery with her baby Gerald after Ralph begins planning her death. She dies when Ralph sacks the nunnery, a victim of Ralph’s violence and violation of social norms. Her helplessness shows the limited autonomy given to women.

One of the more powerful women in the town and wife of Mark Webber, Madge is an ally of Caris. Her support for Caris secures the hospital on Leper Island and Caris’s exit from the nunnery.

An important figure in the parish guild, Mark starts out as a poor weaver but becomes prosperous after he produces Kingsbridge scarlet cloth for Caris. He is an important ally of Caris’s until his death from the plague.

Saul is a monk-physician who is initially Godwyn’s rival for the position of prior. He is a sincere believer who lives out his Christian faith, leading him to reject the office after Godwyn convinces him that his faith will conflict with Earl Roland’s politics. He serves out his time as prior of St. John in the Wood. He dies of the plague.

William is a foil to Roland and his successor. He uses his power judiciously and to the benefit of those for whom he holds responsibility.

Mattie is a gifted herbalist and healer whose treatment of illnesses and injuries relies on practical experience. She is a single woman whose life is threatened by charges of witchcraft. With no protection from a family or husband, she is forced to flee Kingsbridge.

Edmund is the father of Caris and Alice and brother of Petranilla and Anthony. He is also Godwyn’s uncle. A prosperous wool merchant, he is one of the driving forces behind the town’s efforts to free itself from control of the priory. He also encourages Caris’s efforts to occupy roles reserved for men.