Arsenic and Old Lace - Characters & Cast

To protect his aunts from going to prison, to get his new wife safely away from his homicidal family, and to prevent himself from succumbing to the Brewster madness.

Mortimer begins as a smug, self-assured intellectual who has just broken his own anti-marriage rules. Upon discovering the bodies, he spirals into absolute panic and physical exhaustion trying to protect his aunts. He ultimately finds salvation when he learns he is not a biological Brewster, allowing him to embrace a happy, sane future.

To provide charity and peace to lonely old men who have nothing left to live for, viewing murder as a compassionate public service.

The aunts remain completely static throughout the film, maintaining their cheerful, matronly demeanor from start to finish. Their absolute refusal to acknowledge the horror of their crimes is the anchor of the film's comedy.

To find a safe place to undergo plastic surgery, hide from the law, and violently assert dominance over his childhood home and brother.

Jonathan arrives as a terrifying, dominant force seeking a safe haven. As the night progresses, his authority is constantly undermined by the absurdity of his family, until he is finally outsmarted, arrested, and infuriated to learn his aunts tied his murder record.

Survival, avoiding the police, and finding a drink to steady his constant nerves.

Einstein enters as Jonathan's nervous lackey. As the danger escalates, he acts as the voice of reason and self-preservation, eventually seizing the opportunity to quietly slip away from the madness and escape arrest.

To fulfill his duties as the President of the United States, including digging the Panama Canal and attending cabinet meetings.

Teddy experiences no growth; he lives entirely within his own historical delusion, cheerfully carrying out orders and blowing his bugle until he is peacefully relocated to the Happy Dale Sanitarium.