The Phantom Tollbooth Characters

This Boy Knows How to Learn a LessonAt the start of The Phantom Tollbooth, Milo is just a boy, a bored boy who's not satisfied by anything. When he's introduced to us at the beginning of the book,...

As much as we might love the Humbug, he definitely loves himself more. Sure, he's a fully-developed character and gets a lot of attention for being so funny, but it's probably because he makes it t...

Tock is a watchdog. Literally. He has a huge clock in his belly. We could just quit there, and he's already one of the most unusual characters in young adult literature, but we'll keep going. He's...

If you're already thinking that you'll name your next pair of pets Rhyme and Reason, we already have dibs on that. Okay, just wanted to get that out there.Plot Movers and ShakersRhyme and Reason ar...

A Very Leadery LeaderKing Azaz is more like a stereotypical ruler than his brother the Mathemagician. He takes the title of king, he lives in a palace, and he encourages his subjects to attend banq...

The Mathemagician sure is an interesting ruler. For one thing, he doesn't take the title of "king," like his brother Azaz does. Instead, his name/title is unique to him. Being part mathematician an...

Remember Alec? He's not a main character, but he's definitely important to the story. So if you've already forgotten about him, go back and check out Chapters 9-11. Okay, you back? Now, why is Alec...

Like the other rulers in Wisdom, the Soundkeeper has lost sight of what her people really need. Without Rhyme and Reason there to keep an overall balance, she tries to control what her subjects sho...

Faintly Macabre is treated like a witch, punished by a jail term, and feared by the population. But she's not a witch like we normally think of them: she's a Which. People punished her because, lik...

Usually when we describe someone as two-faced, we're judging that person for being hypocritical (meaning, they say one thing and do another). Well, the Dodecahedron has twelve faces, so we'd better...

Milo and Tock are properly introduced to Dictionopolis by the king's cabinet members: the Duke of Definition, Minister of Meaning, Earl of Essence, Count of Connotation, and Undersecretary of Under...

Ready for a mouthful? The Everpresent Wordsnatcher, the Terrible Trivium, the Demon of Insincerity, the Giant, and the Senses Taker. These are five of the scariest demons that Milo, Tock, and the H...

This character doesn't even have a name. He's the boy who's only 0.58 there, and he comes from the region of averages. Milo meets him partway up the stairway to infinity. Confused yet? Don't worry....

More than anything else, Officer Shrift seems to exist to make fun of the justice system and the law. He's basically every part of the law: judge, jury, and executioner. He can arrest Milo, sentenc...

The Lethargarians live in the Doldrums, and they appear as a warning to Milo about what can happen if you're too bored or inactive. Sounds like just the kind of lesson Milo needs to learn, huh?At f...

Chroma is the conductor of the color orchestra. Unlike many of the other powerful figures in the book, he doesn't give Milo a tangible present. Instead, he gives Milo responsibility, asking him to...

Dr. Dischord and the DYNNE are quite the dynamic duo. Here's the low down on these guys: they live near the Valley of Sound, and their behavior contributed to the Soundkeeper's decision to lock all...

The Bee is one of the first characters to tell Milo about the importance of education. Since this is one of the main takeaways of The Phantom Tollbooth, we think he's worth talking about.The Spelli...

The Whether Man, the Ordinary Man, and Canby are three interesting individuals Milo meets during his journey to the Lands Beyond. Each of them encourages Milo to question his surroundings, which is...