Lord Burleigh

Lord Burleigh, the Lord Treasurer and chief minister under Queen Elizabeth I, appears in Puff's The Spanish Armada as a completely silent man. His simple shaking of the head communicates the need for the English to show a greater spirit if they are to defeat their Spanish enemies.

Mr. Dangle

Mr. Dangle is the critic of the play's title. Dangle's great love is the stage; the opening scene of the play shows him disregarding newspaper articles about important current events in favor of one that tells him about the theatre. "I hate all politics but theatrical politics," he explains to his wife as he hurriedly reads of a new play in production. Dangle finds great satisfaction in his position as "the head of a band of criticks," as his judgment of a play is so widely sought and revered. All members of the theatrical world seek his...