The Black Arrow Characters
The main characters in The Black Arrow are Sir Daniel Brackley, Richard Shelton, Joanna Sedley, and Lord Foxham, and John Amend-All.
- Sir Daniel Brackley is a villainous knight who fights on both sides of the Wars of the Roses. He increases his own wealth by adopting children orphaned by the war.
- Richard "Dick" Shelton is the orphan son of Sir Harry Shelton. He marries Joanna.
- Joanna Sedley is the orphaned heiress of Kettley.
- Lord Foxham is Joanna's legal guardian.
- John Amend-All is Sir Daniel's sworn enemy. He fights exclusively with black arrows.
Characters Discussed
Sir Daniel Brackley
Sir Daniel Brackley, a villainous knight who fights on both sides during the fifteenth century Wars of the Roses. He adds to his own lands by becoming the guardian of children orphaned by war. He is killed by Ellis Duckworth.
Richard Shelton
Richard Shelton, called Dick, the orphaned son of Sir Harry Shelton of the Moat House estates. Sir Daniel is suspected of murdering Sir Harry in order to become the boy’s guardian. After many difficulties, Dick marries Joanna Sedley.
Joanna Sedley
Joanna Sedley, the orphaned heiress of Kettley, intended by Sir Daniel as a wife for Dick. She first meets Dick while disguised as a boy. Held prisoner by Sir Daniel, she is almost forced into marriage with Lord Shoreby, but at the church he is slain by a black arrow.
Lord Foxham
Lord Foxham, Joanna’s legal guardian and the enemy of Sir Daniel.
Alicia Risingham
Alicia Risingham, Joanna’s friend, the niece of a powerful Lancastrian lord.
Lord Shoreby
Lord Shoreby, who tries to force Joanna to marry him.
Richard of York
Richard of York, the Duke of Gloucester. He is saved from bandits by Dick, whom he knights after the Battle of Shoreby, in which the Lancastrians are defeated.
The Earl of Risingham
The Earl of Risingham, the judge of Dick and Lawless when they are denounced by Sir Oliver Oates.
Nick Appleyard
Nick Appleyard, a veteran of Agincourt, killed at Moat House by a black arrow.
Bennet Hatch
Bennet Hatch, Sir Daniel’s bailiff at Moat House.
Sir Oliver Oates
Sir Oliver Oates, Sir Daniel’s clerk, who is accused by the outlaws of causing the death of Sir Harry Shelton.
Ellis Duckworth
Ellis Duckworth, who was ruined by Sir Daniel and is now the leader of a band of outlaws. He calls himself
John
John (Jon) Amend-All, and uses only black arrows for weapons. Eventually he kills his enemy, Sir Daniel.
Will Lawless
Will Lawless, one of the outlaws and a friend of Dick. He finally takes orders and dies a friar.
Themes and Characters
The Black Arrow is the tale of a young hero navigating a confusing world of shifting allegiances. After the murder of his father, Sir Harry Shelton, Dick Shelton becomes the ward of the questionable Sir Daniel Brackley. Sir Daniel is a fickle opportunist, switching his support between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists based on which side seems to be prevailing in the ongoing conflict. His primary allies are Sir Oliver Oates and Bennet Hatch.
Dick slowly comes to realize the extent of Sir Daniel's wickedness. His first clue appears early in the story when one of Sir Daniel's men is killed by a black arrow inscribed with the words "John Amend-All." Shortly after, a note from the enigmatic John Amend-All accuses Sir Oliver of murdering Dick's father and warns that three more black arrows are destined for Sir Daniel, Sir Oliver, and Bennet Hatch. As Sir Daniel's forces struggle against a band of outlaws seeking vengeance with their black arrows, Dick himself becomes a target of Sir Daniel's nefarious schemes. The narrative follows Dick through a series of close escapes, with the help of the outlaws who reveal that Sir Daniel was behind the murder of Sir Harry Shelton.
The novel also chronicles Dick's journey to maturity. Initially a misogynist, he overcomes his disdain for women after the heroine, disguised as a boy, earns his respect. Captive of Sir Daniel, Joanna Sedley escapes by dressing as a boy. Dick assists the disguised Joanna, who goes by John Matcham, after finding her stranded in a marsh. Despite John's effeminate...
(This entire section contains 772 words.)
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behavior annoying Dick, he agrees to bring John along. By the time Dick learns Joanna's true identity, she has already saved him from drowning and thwarted Sir Daniel's murder plot against him.
Joanna is most compelling when she is disguised as a boy, oscillating between timidity and bravery, adopting a masculine swagger while unable to completely hide her femininity. Once her true gender is revealed, she becomes a more conventional romantic heroine and appears less frequently. The flirtatious Alicia Risingham, who playfully teases Dick, proves to be a more lively character.
The outlaws were men determined to avenge the injustices done to them, and
it was they who launched the feared black arrows with deadly accuracy.
Throughout his adventures, Dick discovers how challenging it can be to discern
between right and wrong. Indeed, The Black Arrow features no absolute
villains or heroes. Even Dick, though ostensibly the protagonist, makes
significant errors. In one attempt to rescue Joanna, he wrecks an old sea
captain’s ship, causing the first mate’s death. After the Battle of Shoreby,
Dick seeks redemption by urging Gloucester to spare the captain's life, but the
captain’s ship, mate, and livelihood are lost due to Dick's recklessness.
Although Dick saves his life, Captain Arblaster tells him, "Y'ave played the
devil with me," making Dick "understand the desperate game that we play in
life, and how a thing once done is not to be changed or remedied by any
penitence."
The outlaws are heroes in some respects and villains in others. Ellis Duckworth (John Amend-All), the leader of the outlaws, often salvages desperate situations just in time, but he is consumed by his violent thirst for revenge. Lawless becomes Dick's closest companion among the outlaws, yet he admits that he might not resist the urge to rob Dick if given the chance.
Just as the heroes are flawed, even the characters who seem most villainous are not wholly evil. Sir Daniel and Sir Oliver feel some guilt for betraying Dick, whom they both care for. Bennet Hatch, Sir Daniel's lieutenant, rescues Dick when he and Joanna are trapped beneath the dungeons. Sir Daniel's ally, the Earl of Risingham, reveals himself to be a man of integrity, sparing Dick's life after learning of Sir Daniel's treachery.
The most ambiguous character is Richard of Gloucester. He appears as a dashing swordsman, a charismatic leader, and Dick's patron. However, Richard is untrustworthy, shows no mercy, and despises those who do. He knights Dick for his crucial role in the Battle of Shoreby, but Dick quickly falls from his favor when he requests Captain Arblaster's release. A politician driven by personal ambition, Richard foreshadows his later cruelty as depicted in Shakespeare's Richard III.
Stevenson wrote The Black Arrow primarily as an adventure tale, but its historical backdrop allowed him to comment on the harshness of life in the Middle Ages and the brutal cruelty of civil war. Stevenson highlights that while war enables some people to rise and make their fortunes, it is fundamentally a collective madness that brings death and destruction to most involved.
