Major Richard Sharpe

Major Richard Sharpe is the principle protagonist of the novel and is present in most—but not all—of the scenes in the narrative. Sharpe is described as a large man with dark hair and a face disfigured by scarring. A combat veteran of numerous campaigns, Sharpe is in excellent physical condition, possesses superior tactical and strategic reasoning, and rarely makes substantial battlefield mistakes. Outside the sphere of infantry warfare, Sharpe is fairly normal in most respects. Recently married again, Sharpe spends most of his quiet moments fretting about the health of Jane, his distant bride. Occasionally, Sharpe becomes superstitious about Jane's survival—he imagines her infected with an epidemic fever—and he behaves somewhat erratically as a result. Throughout the novel Sharpe demonstrates flawless command, decisive leadership, and a solid grasp of the tactical situation. Possessed of an almost supernatural intuition...