I, Claudius/Characters

Claudius

The protaganist of the series, as well as the narrator. His life is essentially one tragedy after another. Played by Derek Jacobi.

• A God Am I: Subverted and played straight. He technically is worshipped as one, but he sure as hell doesn't want it.
• Awesome By Analysis: Used his historical knowledge to win battles and retrieve the last Eagle.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Claudius practically personifies this trope.
• Lonely at the Top
• Obfuscating Disability
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Pretty much the only reason that he survives for as long as he does.
• The Unfavourite: His mother, Antonia, was always disgusted by him in comparison to Germanicus.

Livia

Augustus's scheming wife, who is willing to do ANYTHING to ensure that her son gets the throne.

• The Chessmaster
• Deadpan Snarker
• Even Evil Has Standards: Did feel genuine guilt for murdering Augustus, and was horrified when she learned that Caligula murdered his father.
• Evil Matriarch: Given her tendencies to have her own family killed or banished if it means Tiberius will become emperor.
• A God Am I: Feels it's the only way to avoid eternal damnation.
• Manipulative Bastard: She plays Augustus like a fiddle.

Antonia

Claudius's mother, and one of the few "moral" people in Rome. Though how sane she is is rather questionable

• Abusive Parent: Even in his own hallucinations Claudius isn't free from her constant degredation.
• Driven to Suicide: It's okay, though. For Romans, this is an honorable choice.
• Holier Than Thou
• Offing the Offspring
• Parental Favouritism: Germanicus is obviously her favorite. She doesn't even seem to like Livilla all that much, even before Livilla becomes her grandmother's pet.
• Soapbox Sadie: Is constantly bemoaning how Rome is going down the toilet
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Ultimately takes this view of herself.

Germanicus

Claudius's brother, and one of the few people to treat him with any compassion at all. Is eventually offed by his son.

• A Father to His Men: like his father and grandfather.
• Hair of Gold: A rare male example of this trope. His children are all inversions.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The only people who don't like him are almost inevitably complete douchebags.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth

Caligula

Claudius's insane nephew, and the third emperor of Rome. Played by John Hurt.

• Blonde Guys Are Evil: As opposed to his father's Hair of Gold. The resemblance is part of why the senators trust him initially, much to everyone's eventual horror.
• The Caligula: Well Duh.
• Enfante Terrible: Is already a murderer before he even hit puberty
• A God Am I: In the more usual sense.
• Large Ham: He is played by John Hurt by the way.
• Manipulative Bastard: Right up until he loses all touch with reality as Emperor.
• Villainous Incest: With his sister

Tiberius

Claudius's uncle, and the second emperor. Played by George Baker.

• Colonel Badass: a very capable general.
• Dirty Old Man: Have you heard about his "nymphs" at Capri?
• Happily Married: Until Livia ruins it.
• Jerkass
• Kick the Dog: The scene where a woman he's raped is driven to commit suicide in front of her husband and guests is pretty much there to show us he's much less pitiable since he became emperor.
• Lonely at the Top: His ghost admits as much to Claudius
• Momma's Boy: A very tragic example of one.
• Pet the Dog: Tiberius's scenes with Drusus are there to establish that he did in fact have some redeeming points in his youth.
• Sergeant Rock: "They say your drills are bloodless battles, and your battles are bloody drills." Tiberius, however, is fair, even sleeping without a tent if his troops couldn't have one.
• Stuffed in The Fridge
• Training from Hell: his take on army training.
• Yandere: After divorcing Vipsania, he becomes this. Subverted in that he was forced into a divorce, and his love of his wife one of his few redeeming qualities.

Nero

• Adipose Rex: Very notably the largest of the Julio-Claudian emperors.
• Psychopathic Manchild
• Self-Made Orphan: The Sibyl reveals he will kill his mother once she's no longer useful.
• Sissy Villain
• Villainous Incest: With his mother