I, Claudius/Characters

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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