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Sir Roger's Character
In the Coverley Essays, Sir Roger has been characterized vividly by Joseph Addison
and Richard Steele. Sir Roger is presented in these essays as kind, generous, lovable
and sometimes as a peculiar person. But in the hand of Joseph Addison, Sir Roger's
character is conveyed ironically. For that reason he sometimes seems odd. Although
he is gentle and mild in nature and lovable to people, he has some eccentricities and
oddities. And all these things are delineated superbly in these essays. However these
things are given below:

Humanity: Sir Roger is a man of humanity and has a large heart. Moreover, he is mild.
He loves not only the servants of his house but also the people who live around him.
In the essay "Sir Roger at Church" we see that he is asking about the condition of the
people who are absent in the church. It suggests that he is very kind hearted and
generous for who he is very aware of other's. In "Sir Roger at Home" we see that he is
loved by his servants, who are living with him and are growing older with him like
family members, because of his love towards them. Addison says in "Sir Roger at
Home"

I am the more at ease in Sir Roger's family, because it consists of sober and staid
persons; for as the knight is the best master in the world, he seldom changes his
servants; and as he is beloved by all about him.
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Lover of religion: He is a true lover of religion. He is a regular church goer and

encourages other to come to the church. His mind is set for religious purposes and he
does a lot of jobs for religion. In the essay "Sir Roger at Church", we see that he has
decorated end beautified the church on his own accord and at his own expense so that
the country people would be encouraged to come to the church enthusiastically. In this
essay he says

My friend sir Roger, being a good churchman, has beautified the inside of his church
with several texts of his own choosing. He has likewise given a handsome pulpit-
cloth, and railed in the communion-table at his own expense.

His Hospitality: After getting invitation from Sir Roger, the author went to his (Sir
Roger's) country house. Here his hospitality takes the attention of the readers. Here we
see that he is very hospitable and did everything possible to make his friend happy.
Even the people around his house were requested not to get closer to Addison because
Addison would be disturbed. In his house Addison was requested to feel free for any
kind of job.

Him authority: Sir Roger has authoritative power both in home and church. In the
church, we see that he keeps him authoritative power. In the essay "Sir Roger at
Church", the author says,
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As Sir Roger is landlord to the whole congregation, he keeps them in good order, and
will suffer no body to sleep in it.

Even if he sees anybody is nodding, whether it is in the middle of the congregation or

not, he walls to that person or sends his servants to him to make him alert. Moreover,
he appoints the clergymen for the church on his own accord and suggests them to
follow the instructions of different professors for sermons.

Skilled Organizer: Sir Roger is a skilled organizer. He organizer not only him house
but also the church. He has keen sense to organize things. The church is organized
beautifully. He encourages people to come to church, decorates for church and keeps
the church in a very good or disciplined order. All these things suggests he is a skilled
organizer. Addison says about Sir roger in "Sir Roger at Church"

He has often told me , that, at his coming to his estate he found his parishioners very
irregular; and that in order to make them kneel and john in the responses, he gave
every one of them a hassock and a common-prayer book.
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His Responsibility: Sir Roger being the landlord of all the congregations, felt
personally responsible for their behaviour and exerted his authority to keep them
disciplined. He allowed no one to sleep. If he felt asleep during the sermon, on waking
up he would look around and if he found anyone dozing off, he would immediately
wake him up. Even in the middle of the congregation he would stand up and started
counting the number of people to understand anybody's absence. Addison says,

Sometimes stands up when every body else is upon their knees, to count the
congregation, or see if any of his tenants are missing.

His eccentricity: To some extent Sir Roger can be considered as eccentric. In almost
all the essays regarding him, we find its full expression. In the essay "Sir Roger at
Church" his eccentricity is seen in which he exercised his authority. He wanted that
his tenants should behave well in the church. They must not sleep or make any noise
during the church service but he himself did so. Sometimes when everybody was on
their knees, he stood up.

Humorist: Sir Roger is a humorist. In most of "de coverly" essays, we find humorous
expressions. His eccentricities can not but make us laugh. The ways that he adopts to
do his daily work are sometimes humorous. Sometimes his follies and sometimes his
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eccentricities are expressed humoristically in de coverley essays. In "Sir Roger at
Home", Addison says,

I have observed in several of my papers, that my friend Sir Roger, amidst all his good
qualities, is something of a humorist.

In summing up, it can be said that in spite of being a man of great honour, Sir Roger is
regarded as a humorist and sometimes eccentric because of having some oddities or
peculiarities in him. However, the ultimate aim of Addison was not to show his
humorous expressions to make up laugh only, rather to make up correct for our follies
and absurdities. But the main intention of Mr. Spectator was to correct the society, to
reform every corner of life by presenting the character Sir Roger.