I, Claudius/Characters

Claudius
The protaganist of the series, as well as the narrator. His life is essentially one tragedy after another. Played by Derek Jacobi.


 * A God Am I: Subverted and played straight. He technically is worshipped as one, but he sure as hell doesn't want it.
 * Awesome By Analysis: Used his historical knowledge to win battles and retrieve the last Eagle.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Claudius practically personifies this trope.
 * Lonely At the Top
 * Obfuscating Disability
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Pretty much the only reason that he survives for as long as he does.
 * The Unfavourite: His mother, Antonia, was always disgusted by him in comparison to Germanicus.

Livia
Augustus's scheming wife, who is willing to do ANYTHING to ensure that her son gets the throne.


 * The Chessmaster
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Did feel genuine guilt for murdering Augustus, and was horrified when she learned that Caligula murdered his father.
 * Evil Matriarch: Given her tendencies to have her own family killed or banished if it means Tiberius will become emperor.
 * A God Am I: Feels it's the only way to avoid eternal damnation.
 * Manipulative Bastard: She plays Augustus like a fiddle.

Antonia
Claudius's mother, and one of the few "moral" people in Rome. Though how sane she is is rather questionable


 * Abusive Parent: Even in his own hallucinations Claudius isn't free from her constant degredation.
 * Driven to Suicide: It's okay, though. For Romans, this is an honorable choice.
 * Holier Than Thou
 * Offing the Offspring
 * Parental Favouritism: Germanicus is obviously her favorite. She doesn't even seem to like Livilla all that much, even before Livilla becomes her grandmother's pet.
 * Soapbox Sadie: Is constantly bemoaning how Rome is going down the toilet
 * Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Ultimately takes this view of herself.

Germanicus
Claudius's brother, and one of the few people to treat him with any compassion at all. Is eventually offed by his son.


 * A Father to His Men: like his father and grandfather.
 * Hair of Gold: A rare male example of this trope. His children are all inversions.
 * Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The only people who don't like him are almost inevitably complete douchebags.
 * Too Good for This Sinful Earth

Caligula
Claudius's insane nephew, and the third emperor of Rome. Played by John Hurt.


 * Blonde Guys Are Evil: As opposed to his father's Hair of Gold. The resemblance is part of why the senators trust him initially, much to everyone's eventual horror.
 * The Caligula: Well Duh.
 * Enfante Terrible: Is already a murderer before he even hit puberty
 * A God Am I: In the more usual sense.
 * Large Ham: He is played by John Hurt by the way.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Right up until he loses all touch with reality as Emperor.
 * Villainous Incest: With his sister

Tiberius
Claudius's uncle, and the second emperor. Played by George Baker.


 * Colonel Badass: a very capable general.
 * Dirty Old Man: Have you heard about his "nymphs" at Capri?
 * Happily Married: Until Livia ruins it.
 * Jerkass
 * Kick the Dog: The scene where a woman he's raped is driven to commit suicide in front of her husband and guests is pretty much there to show us he's much less pitiable since he became emperor.
 * Lonely At the Top: His ghost admits as much to Claudius
 * Momma's Boy: A very tragic example of one.
 * Pet the Dog: Tiberius's scenes with Drusus are there to establish that he did in fact have some redeeming points in his youth.
 * Sergeant Rock: "They say your drills are bloodless battles, and your battles are bloody drills." Tiberius, however, is fair, even sleeping without a tent if his troops couldn't have one.
 * Stuffed in The Fridge
 * Training From Hell: his take on army training.
 * Yandere: After divorcing Vipsania, he becomes this. Subverted in that he was forced into a divorce, and his love of his wife one of his few redeeming qualities.

Nero

 * Adipose Rex: Very notably the largest of the Julio-Claudian emperors.
 * Psychopathic Manchild
 * Self-Made Orphan: The Sibyl reveals he will kill his mother once she's no longer useful.
 * Sissy Villain
 * Villainous Incest: With his mother