History YMMV / TheNameOfTheRose

* LawfulGood: Although he is seen as a rogue by most monks, Brother William of Baskerville is clearly this, observing his religious duties and also making a strong case for Good that sets him apart from LawfulEvil Bernard Gui and [[spoiler:Jorge of Burgos]].

* LawfulGood: Although he is seen as a rogue by most other monks, Brother William of Baskerville is clearly this, observing his religious duties and also making a strong case for Good that sets him apart from LawfulEvil Bernard Gui and [[spoiler:Jorge of Burgos]].

* MagnificentBastard: Jorge De Burgos is a blind, elder monk wholly convinced that mankind's salvation lies in complete obedience to God. Abhorring the ancient literature contained in the labyrinth beneath the abbey for what he perceives as its blasphemous humor, Jorge uses a book with a poisoned page to kill several monks who had knowledge of the secret library, which prompts the Abbey to call for the Jesuit William of Baskerville to investigate the mysterious deaths. When William eventually discovers the library, Jorge tries to trick William into touching the poisoned book, and when this fails, eats the poisoned pages himself and sets fire to the library, ensuring Christendom's supremacy for centuries to come.

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Jorge, serial killer and KnightTemplar extraordinaire-a blind old man who manages to kill a lot of people with poison, traps and a careful use of murderous books]]

* PuritySue: The eccentric Ubertino da Casale.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Adsons vision, although it delivers a hint.
* ItGetsBetter: The first hundred pages of the book go at a mindbogglingly easygoing and unhurried pace (at least compared to other murder mystery novels), with ''lots'' of [[FlavorText obscure references and other diversions unconnected to any part of the whodunnit itself]]. Umberto Eco wrote a WordOfGod postscript in part to clarify that the hard-to-get-into beginning was a deliberate choice.
-->'''Eco:''' Those first hundred pages are like a penance or initiation, and if someone does not like them, so much the worse for him. [[TakeThatAudience He can stay at the foot of the mountain.]]

* WTHCastingAgency: SeanConnery and Creator/ChristianSlater play professional celibates.

* DisownedAdaptation: Creator/UmbertoEco didn't care for how the movie reduced the story to "just" a detective story, and subsequently had his publishing contracts amended to ensure that none of his other novels could be filmed until after his death.

* {{Anvilicious}} {{Aesop}}: [[spoiler:Jorge's reason for hiding the book]] is because it promotes comedy, which might cause monks to disrespect scripture.
* {{Applicability}}

* DisownedAdaptation: UmbertoEco didn't care for how the movie reduced the story to "just" a detective story, and subsequently had his publishing contracts amended to ensure that none of his other novels could be filmed until after his death.

* TheWoobie: The unnamed peasant girl. A poor, nameless wretch who is sexually exploited by Salvatore and Remigio in exchange for scraps, before being arrested as a witch to face torture and execution, despite, as Adso says, being the only true innocent in the whole affair.

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Jorge, serial killer and KnightTemplar extraordinaire: a blind old man who manages to kill a lot of people with poison, traps and a careful use of murderous books]]

* PuritySue: the eccentric Ubertino da Casale.

** According to the movie director, he initially turned down Connery for this exact reason, until Sean Connery forced himself into his office, and demanded to read just one line. And then he accepted.

* CompleteMonster: Bernardo Gui. Between a vicious KnightTemplar attitude and more ColdBloodedTorture than you can shake a stick at, [[spoiler:he earns that (albeit cheesy) ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice death in the film.]]

* {{Anvilicious}} {{Aesop}}: [[spoiler:Jorge's reason for hiding the book]] is because it might promote comedy, which might cause monks to disrespect scripture.

* WTHCastingAgency: SeanConnery and ChristianSlater play professional celibates.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Despite the above, he was much less melodramatic in RealLife.

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Jorge, serial killer and KnightTemplar extraordinaire: a blind old man who manages to kill a lot of people with poison, traps and a careful use of murderous mooks]]

* CompleteMonster: Bernardo Gui, and how. Between a vicious KnightTemplar attitude and more ColdBloodedTorture than you can shake a stick at, [[spoiler:he earns that (albeit cheesy) ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice death in the film.]]

* CompleteMonster: Bernardo Gui, and how. Between a vicious KnightTemplar attitude, and a complete and total refusal to see anyone's views but his own, and more ColdBloodedTorture than you can shake a stick at. [[spoiler:he earns that (albeit cheesy) ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice death in the film.]]

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Bernardo Gui, who was much less melodramatic in RealLife.

* ChaoticNeutral: Salvatore fits this alignment perfectly.

* LawfulEvil: [[spoiler: Jorge and Bernardo]]