Part 4/11:
A detailed cast of characters helps flesh out the story—parents, siblings, tutors, family friends, and rivals. For her parents, Shapiro envisions a mother Olivia, ambitious yet inept, constantly scheming to restore the family's honor, and a father Titus, well-meaning but clueless, who prefers to let his wife take charge of social affairs.
Names like Octavia or Agropina for her mother, and Titus Valyria for her father, were considered. The family’s reputation is characterized as somewhat foolish—"a fool and his money are soon parted"—creating potential tension in social and financial dealings.