Jim picks up the coffee tray. She then assumes her former manner.

Emma Coade

Emma Coade, an elderly, rounded woman called “Coady,” as is her husband. She is the most congenial of the ladies gathered at the scene. Mrs. Coade did not go to the woods, but she knows that the others did. She senses that Lob, their host, is behind these fantastic happenings. The fact that she is Mr. Coade’s second wife adds to her sadness when she learns of her husband’s second-chance experience.

Mr. Coade

Mr. Coade, in the drawing room a gracious, older man with a gentle smile. Comfortably well-to-do, he has always meant to write a book but is always conveniently distracted. In the woods, he becomes a jolly, ne’er-do-well old bachelor. Later, in the drawing room, he is still gentle with Mrs. Coade in the same empty way; he sees himself as a genial, lazy old man who gained nothing by his second chance.

Mr. Lob

Mr. Lob, the wizened, ageless host to his guests, all of whom want a second chance. He is Puck from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in disguise, and he introduces his guests to the Midsummer Eve of what might have been.

Barrie’s thesis—that the exigencies of human life are the fault of the individual, not of so-called Fate—is fancifully developed in DEAR BRUTUS by means of a folk superstition concerning Midsummer Eve. The play is fantastic and realistic at the same time, fantastic in that its characters are transported into the realm of the unreal, realistic in the perfectly candid way in which the various relationships among the characters are set forth.

The play begins in the drawing room of a manor belonging to a rather enigmatic figure named Lob—not Mr. Lob, just Lob. The room is shrouded in darkness, but through the French windows at the back, one can see Lob's garden basking in bright moonlight. Lob's guests start to enter the dim room, coming from the adjacent dining area where they have just finished their dinner. Someone locates the light switch, illuminating the room, though the moonlit garden remains prominent. Act 2 shifts the scene to this bright garden, or more accurately, a moonlit forest that has magically taken its place. Here, most characters appear living their "might-have-been" lives. In the final act, the midsummer night's dream concludes, and the setting returns to the shadowy drawing room in Lob's house. As the characters return from their dreamlike experience in the radiant wood, someone again turns on the lights, brightening the room. Reality then resumes. Still momentarily caught in their dreams, the characters find themselves in Lob's drawing room, surrounded by familiar furnishings, tea sets, and Lob himself, helping them to awaken to reality.

Officially, Dear Brutus is classified as a dramatic comedy. The story introduces complications in act 1, reverses them in the enchanted woods during act 2, and resolves them in act 3. Barrie, much like Shakespeare and Keats before him, employs the myth of a magical midsummer night's dream to symbolize the abstract idea of love. There is no biological explanation for why people, such as Mr. and Mrs. Coade, fall in love and maintain that love for many years. Similarly, there is no explanation for how individuals can be passionately in love with someone one moment, like Jack Purdie and Joanna Trout, and be in conflict the next. For some, "the course of true love" encounters obstacles. In act 3, Barrie seems to echo Puck's sentiment in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream—"Lord, what fools these mortals be."

Barrie skillfully uses the symbols of light and darkness. Lob's sitting room remains mostly dark, and when it is lit, the light is harsh and artificial. In contrast, the natural moonlight that brightens the garden and the magical woods is always more radiant, intruding upon the supposed reality of Lob's room. This leaves the audience pondering which setting is real and which is merely an illusion.

Dear Brutus avoids using sensational or shocking elements. Although the storyline features mate-swapping, placing it firmly in the modern tradition, the portrayal of infidelity is subtle. John is involved with Joanna Trout while married to Mabel, and also with Mabel while married to Joanna, yet the most scandalous act depicted is an occasional secretive kiss.

Similar to his work in The Admirable Crichton, Barrie humorously critiques the aristocratic hierarchy of monarchical England. Alice Dearth finds no joy in her status as the Honorable Mrs. Fred, preferring instead the role of the wife of the shabby artist Will Dearth. Meanwhile, the ostentatious Lady Caroline Laney is happiest as the wife of the butler Matey. However, like Lady Mary in The Admirable Crichton, she struggles to accept social disgrace upon returning to the "real" world in act 3.

The characters in Dear Brutus resemble those found in other plays by Barrie. While Barrie occasionally discovers heroes and heroines among everyday folks—such as butlers, cleaning ladies, kitchen maids, or struggling artists—in Dear Brutus, he examines the strengths and flaws of the wealthy, achieving similar outcomes. The concept of getting a second chance at life is also present in his other works, including The Little White Bird, The Admirable Crichton, and Mary Rose. The character Mary Rose is frequently linked to the potential daughter of Will Dearth in Dear Brutus, as both are "delightful creatures" who vanish before reaching adulthood.

Geduld, Harry. Sir James Barrie. New York: G.K. Hall, 1971. Geduld provides detailed plot summaries for Barrie's key works. However, his exploration of Barrie's dramatic methods is better addressed in other sources. Geduld seeks to connect Barrie's imaginative tales with his psychological background. The book includes a helpful bibliography.

Hammerton, J. A. Barrie: The Story of a Genius. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1929. Hammerton, concerned with the inadequate scholarship surrounding Barrie, aimed to distinguish myths and anecdotes from proven facts. His depictions of significant locations and individuals in Barrie's life and works make this a crucial study. This text updates Hammerton's earlier work, J. M. Barrie and His Books, initially released in 1900.

Mackail, Denis. The Story of J. M. B. London: Peter Davies, 1941. Requested by Barrie's two literary executors, Mackail's book builds upon and expands Hammerton's earlier research.

Moult, Thomas. Barrie. London: Jonathan Cape, 1927. Moult bases his book on Hammerton's initial work but lacks an index, which limits its practicality. The discussions on Barrie's creations are mostly paraphrased, offering minimal insightful critique.

Roy, James A. James Matthew Barrie. New York: Scribner's, 1938. Although dated, this book provides a thoughtful exploration of Barrie's life and works. Professor Roy describes his work as "An Appreciation".