Count Olaf
Count Olaf is the villain of the story. He is quite tall and very thin. He has an unshaven face and a house that is in disarray. He adopts the Baudelaires for the sole reason of wanting the huge fortune their parents have left behind. His demeanor towards the children is unseemly. He only provides the children with one bed. He does not care about them and becomes violent whenever he does not receive what he wants. Count Olaf makes his livelihood as an actor and might even have written a play.
Sunny Baudelaire
The Baudelaire parents die in a fire and Sunny Baudelaire is only a baby at that time. Although, Sunny is just a baby she is very perceptive. She tries to warn Violet about the hook-handed man attacking her. Like her siblings, she is also written as a clever being. A baby that lacks size but is smart. Furthermore, Violet explains that if she bites you softly that means she likes you.
Violet Baudelaire
Among the Baudelaires, Violet is the oldest of the siblings. She is fourteen years old. She is also written as an intelligent and clever person who invents odd devices. She even invents a grappling hook to free Sunny from the tower. Her sense of responsibility is greater than the other siblings. Violet, unlike Klaus, is very secretive in her actions and schemes. This trait of hers is on full display when she manipulates her way out of starring in The Marvelous Marriage play.
Lemony Snicket
Mr. Snicket is the narrator of the Baudelaire’s story. A fog of mystery surrounds this character in this book. He is said to have spent his life learning and researching about the Baudelaires. He is barred from entering a nearby town due to an unexplained reason. The most we learn about this character in the current book is that he dearly loved a woman named Beatrice. So much so that he still has a blurry photograph of her in his bedroom.
Justice Strauss
Justice Strauss is said to have the prettiest house of the block. She is the neighbor of Count Olaf. She is an extremely kind hearted person and is very empathetic towards the Baudelaires. She even lets them browser library. At the beginning she notices the odd ways Count Olaf treats the children, however, after she is cast in The Marvelous Marriage play she starts to change her opinion of Count Olaf.
Mr. Poe
Mr. Poe is characterized as someone who always has a cold and is extremely busy. He constantly coughs and excuses himself to have a coughing fit. His relation with the Baudelaire is strictly professional. He is the banker who handles the money that they have inherited. He comes off as extremely uncaring. When he finds the Baudelaries a guardian, it becomes apparent how little he cares as he leaves them with Count Olaf even when he sees the state of the house is incredibly disheveled and filthy.
Klaus Baudelaire
Klaus Baudelaire is an avid reader. He is the one who figures out Count Olaf’s evil scheme by learning about nuptial law in a book. He is the middle child of the Baudelaire family and also the only male. Unlike his older sister, Klaus is braver and more impulsive with his ways. He speaks more openly against the tranny of Count Olaf and sometimes due to this gives Count Olaf clues to correct his evil master plan.
