Barry Lyndon - Characters & Cast

Barry is primarily motivated by a relentless desire for social advancement and the security of a noble title. Rejected early in life for his lack of wealth and status, he spends the rest of his days trying to overcome his humble origins and secure a permanent place among the aristocracy, a goal he pursues through any means necessary.

Redmond Barry begins as a romantic and ambitious young man from a modest Irish background. Forced to flee his home, his journey through war and deception hardens him into a cunning opportunist. His singular goal becomes the acquisition of wealth and status, which he achieves by marrying Lady Lyndon. However, once at the apex of society, he proves unable to handle his position. His arrogance, cruelty to his stepson, and extravagance lead to his isolation and ultimate downfall. He ends his life as he began: alone and penniless, a tragic figure undone by the very ambition that propelled him.

Lady Lyndon is motivated by a desire for love and companionship. She falls for Barry's charm and seeks happiness outside of her suffocating aristocratic life. After marrying him, her motivation shifts to enduring her unhappy marriage, protecting her children, and preserving what little dignity she has left.

Initially, Lady Lyndon is a beautiful, wealthy, and somewhat melancholic figure, trapped in a loveless marriage to an ailing, older man. She is quickly enchanted by the dashing Redmond Barry and, after her husband's death, marries him for love. Her arc is one of tragic disillusionment. Barry's infidelity, emotional neglect, and squandering of her fortune transform her from a hopeful romantic into a withdrawn, depressed, and powerless victim of her husband's ambition. By the end, she is a broken woman, finding solace only in religion and the return of her son.

Lord Bullingdon is driven by a fierce, Oedipal devotion to his mother and the memory of his father. His primary motivation is to protect his mother, preserve his family's honor, and expel the "lowbred ruffian" who has usurped his father's position and brought misery to their lives.

As a boy, Lord Bullingdon resents Barry for usurping his late father's place and recognizes him as a manipulative social climber. He endures years of abuse and humiliation at Barry's hands. As a young man, his hatred solidifies into a cold, determined desire for revenge. He publicly denounces Barry, leading to a brutal beating that forces him into self-exile. He returns after the death of his half-brother, Bryan, to finally challenge Barry to a duel. He triumphs, reclaiming his family's name and fortune and exiling his stepfather, completing his arc from a victimized child to the instrument of Barry's downfall.

A professional rogue, the Chevalier is motivated by survival and profit. He uses his charm and cunning to exploit the European nobility at the card table. He forms a partnership with Barry out of a mix of kinship (as a fellow Irishman) and practical self-interest, as Barry's skills as an enforcer are useful.

The Chevalier is a fellow Irish exile and professional gambler who takes the young Redmond Barry under his wing after Barry is tasked with spying on him. He serves as a mentor figure, teaching Barry the art of the cardsharp and how to navigate the courts of Europe. Their partnership is successful, but the Chevalier's presence in the narrative is primarily to facilitate Barry's transition from a soldier to a sophisticated confidence man, setting him on the path to meet Lady Lyndon.