Scheherazade
Scheherazade is a character that appears in the first part of the novel. The character is taken from the fictional work One Thousand and One Nights, and Chimera offers a background story that does not appear in the original story. In Chimera, Scheherazade is the Vizier’s daughter, an eminent girl interested in learning and very sensitive to the events taking place in her time. It is during her life that the King starts killing young virgins every night and fearing that one day her younger sister will be taken to the King, she starts to look for a way to stop the King from killing. Scheherazade receives help from a genie who tells her the stories she later tells the King. In this sense, the story in Chimera is different from the traditional one in the sense that Scheherazade is not the one who invents the stories, but rather only passes them on. What characterizes Scheherazade is her deep love for her sister and the desire to help her sisters and save them from a cruel fate. She is presented as a courageous woman, willing to sacrifice her virginity and freedom to save others. Her courage is highlighted towards the end of the novel when she proposes to her sister to kill the Kings as a way of making a statement and leave an example for the women who will come after them. Weather Scheherazade killed the King or not remains unknown as the tale ends on the night of Dunyazade’s weeding.
The genie
The genie appears in the novel when all hope seems to be lost. Scheherazade knows that she will be able to enchant the King by using her words but she is unsure how to do it and so the Genie comes to help her. The Genie is actually a man from the present time, a writer obsessed with Scheherazade’s stories and who considers 1001 Nights to be the most successful work of fiction. The genie agrees to help Scheherazade and tells her stories that she later tells the King. The Genie is a normal man who found himself at an impasse in his life, unable to create and yet wanting to remain known for his art. His encounter with Scheherazade saves him as much as it saves her because it serves as an inspiration for him. The genie’s name is never mentioned and the last part of Dunyazade’s and Scheherazade’s story is told by him but the reader receives no assurance that the story ended the way is described by the author.
Dunyazade
Dunyazade is the name the author gives to Scheherazade’s sister. While the name and the sister do not appear in the original story, Dunyazade plays an important role in Scheherazade’s story that appears in Chimera. Dunyazade followed her sister when she went to the King and from that point on, she spent her nights and days at the foot of her sister’s bed. Dunyazade was the one who asked her sister to tell her the stories that convinced the King not to kill her sister. Dunyazade is softer than her sister and lacks some of her courage yet she is loyal and willing to do anything for her sister. When Scheherazade proposes that they kill the Kings, Dunyazade agrees to do it even though she knows that she will die too. Dunyazade is not quick to judge and when her new husband pleads her to listen to him, she does just so. The first story is Dunyazade’s story as much as it is her sisters and it follows Dunyazade’s growth process, how she flowered from a young girl, naïve and foolish, to a beautiful women, powerful and brave,
Shah Zaman
Shah Zaman is Shahryar’s younger brother, King in his own land. Shah Zaman appears towards the end of the story , when he married Dunyazade and when his life is threatened by her. Then, Shah Zaman reveals his true self to her and the reader is able to see that Shah Zaman is the complete opposite of what he was portrayed as being. Shah Zaman, just like his brother, was betrayed by his beloved wife who cheated on him. Shah Zaman loved his wife dearly but when he found out about her sleeping with other men, he killed her and left his kingdom. Shah Zaman and his brother made a promise to one another, to take a new virgin every night and kill her in the morning as a way of showing their hatred for women. But Shah Zaman was unable to kill the women he slept with and so he sent them to a faraway land to live in peace
Shahryar
Shahryar is the name given to the King Scheherazade gave her life to. While he never speaks in the story, he is an important character because he is the reason why the two girls decided to risk their lives. It is hinted that Shahryar was not always evil but was affected by his wife’s betrayal. Just like in Shah Zaman’s case, it is unsure if Shahrya ended up spending the rest of his life with Scheherazade or if he was killed by her.
Perseus
Perseus is the main character of the second story. The story of Perseus starts when he is already and old man and the tales of his heroic actions are almost forgotten. Perseus became unsatisfied with the life he had after he killed Medusa and thus he began another journey, looking for a way to become immortal. One of Perseus’s most noticeable traits is his love for Andromeda, his wife. Despite being betrayed by her, he continues to love her and spares her life even after she tried to kill him. The Perseus described in Chimera is the complete opposite of the brave man from the ancient texts. In Chimera, Perseus is unsure of himself, doubts his own power and is easily controlled by those around him. In many ways, Perseus is more if a hopeless romantic than a brave hero.
Calyxa
Calyxa is the woman who takes care of Perseus in a temple. In the beginning, Perseus believes her to be a nymph buy then later realizes that she is human and mortal. Calyxa loves Perseus and she is aware of the fact that he does not love her. Despite this, she does everything she can to make him feel good and happy. Just like the others female characters in the novel, she is aware of her power to seduce men and is sexually driven.
Bellerophon
Bellerophon is the main characters of the last story. Just like the previous characters, he is a mythological being who proves to be the complete opposite of what the reader may expect. Bellerophon is Perseus’s cousin and he always feels inferior to him. Despite being known to have killed the Chimera in his youth, Bellerophon is unhappy with the way his life turned out to be in his adult life. Thus, just like Perseus, he begins another quest to try and prove his worth and to seek happiness.
Unnamed girl
The King Shah Zaman mentions a girl, the daughter of his Vizier and the first virgin that was brought to him after he decided to start killing a virgin every night. The girl is important because just like many other female characters in the novel, she is sure of herself, sexually driven and does not fit the way the Western world imagines the women living in the Middle East. The unnamed girl was also the one who changed the way Shah Zaman thought about women and she made him fall in love with her. Because of this, her life was spared and the lives of the women following her were spared also.
Medusa
Medusa appears in the second part of the novel. Medusa is a Gorgon who was transformed by Athena and who was forced to live her life in hiding because of her power to transform every person she looked into their eyes into stone. Medusa was killed by Perseus but was later brought back to life by Athena and was given the power to give someone she wanted the gift of immortality. Medusa is the one who transforms Perseus into a constellation at the end of the story.
The Vizier
The Vizier is Scheherazade and Dunyazade’s father. He was against letting his daughter sacrifice themselves but soon realized that he is unable to stop them.
Ali Shar, Gharíb, Jamilah-Melissa
The three children are the result of Scheherazade and the King’s relationship. When Scheherazade remained without stories to tell, she asked the King to spare her life for the sake of their children.
Melissa
Melissa is the name if a woman mentioned by the genie. The genie also reveals that he married Melissa and Scheherazade even named one of her children Melissa as a way to honor the genie and thank him for his help.
Pemphredo, Enyo, Dino
The names above are the name given to the three Graeae in the Greek mythology. Perseus encounters them two times and his interaction with them is important because in both cases, the Graeae have information that is important for Perseus and his quest.
Andromeda
Andromeda is Perseus’s wife. Andromeda became unsatisfied with her marriage with Perseus and this she began to look for new lovers. Despite this, Perseus never stopped caring for his wife. In the end, Andromeda is transformed into a constellation as well.
Athena
Athena appears both in the second story and the third one as being the Goddess who helps both Perseus and Bellerophon. In both cases, Athena gives them the tools they need to succeed in their task.
