Clare Quilty

Clare Quilty is a fictional character in Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita. He is nemesis to the protagonist, Humbert Humbert, in that he battles for the affection of the title character. He was portrayed by Peter Sellers in the 1962 film version and by Frank Langella in the 1997 version.
In the Novel
Incidental clues to Quilty’s identity appear throughout the novel, as early as page 6, where a reference to the Vivian Darkbloom (an anagram of "Vladimir Nabokov") biography of Quilty, called My Cue, is made. On page 33, the geographical list of theater people includes the following: "Quilty, Clare...who wrote...'The Little Nymph,' 'The Strange Mushroom,' 'Fatherly Love,' etc." This is followed by "Quine, Dolores," as Nabokov hints at the portentous coincidence of names. On page 34, Humbert writes, "Quine the Swine" and "Guilty of killing Quilty." Later in the novel, Lolita is sent to "Camp Q." There is also a French identification hidden on page 225 in a letter from Lolita's friend, Mona, to Lolita. Knowing of Lolita's secret with Quilty, Mona writes, "Ne manque pas de dire à ton amant, Chimène, comme le lac est beau, car il faut qu’il t’y mène. Lucky beau! Qu’il t’y — what a tongue twister!”
Part I
The book introduces Quilty in the eighth chapter, when Humbert Humbert, imprisoned for murdering Quilty, reads his biography from a copy of "Who's Who in the Limelight" he finds while in jail:
Quilty appears only once in Part I, as an unnamed figure in the dark who briefly asks Humbert about the girl with him, Lolita, at the motel "The Enchanted Hunters". He is previously mentioned and discussed by various characters in the novel - Lolita has a picture of him in her bedroom, and Charlotte Haze and the Farlows mention his uncle Ivor the dentist. These frequent allusions fail to get Humbert's attention.
Part II
Quilty reappears as the playwright of The Enchanted Hunters, which he writes during his stay at the motel where he meets Lolita for the first time. Humbert has by then sent Lolita to Beardsley School for girls and been hired himself as a professor at the Beardsley Women's College. Quilty somehow tracks them and sets up the play (along with co-writer Vivian Darkbloom [an anagram for Vladimir Nabokov) to be performed at the school, whereupon he has Miss Pratt, the headmistress, convince Humbert to let Lolita act in the school play. Here Lolita meets Quilty, and begins to have an affair with him.
Humbert, who has still no idea of his nemesis' identity, has a fight with Lolita about leaving Beardsley. Lolita runs away, only to accept smilingly Humbert's designs after a mysterious telephone conversation - presumably with Quilty. Humbert and Lolita engage in a road trip plagued by Quilty's looming figure - he follows them in his red convertible through a long stretch of their journey, makes a brief masked visit at their motel, even fakes a telephone call from Beardsley just so he might play tennis for a few minutes with Lolita. This adds to Lolita's increasingly erratic and rebellious behavior - disappearing for short lapses of time and lying to Humbert.
Lolita eventually comes down with a fever that sends her to a hospital. After a short convalescence, Quilty takes her away pretending to be Humbert's brother. Humbert begins a wild goose chase, visiting and revisiting hotels and motels looking for the missing couple. Alas, Quilty signs the guest book under pseudonyms, anagrams and word plays - all of which sets him apart from the other guests, but his identity remains undisclosed.
In 1952, Humbert has abandoned his search for Quilty and Lolita until a letter from Lo (now married) asking for money sets him on the hunt again. He tracks down the address, but to his disappointment, Lolita - pregnant as well - refuses to leave her husband and only reluctantly gives away the identity of Quilty, or Cue as she calls him. She had run off with Quilty after he had promised her a Hollywood career, but the relationship ended when Lolita refused to take part in Quilty's orgies and other "crazy things". It is implied that Quilty is also bisexual.
Humbert drives up to Quilty's house and waits till morning to barge in and execute Quilty. Their ensuing dialogue, incoherent and inconsistent due to Quilty's hangover and unpredictable nature, lasts for an hour. Humbert becomes tired of Quilty's pleading and haggling, and shoots him several times after some struggle. Quilty manages, however, to climb up the stairs and hide in his bed before being shot one last time. As Humbert walks down and meets some of Quilty's newly arrived friends, Quilty comes out of the bedroom one last time, amazingly still alive, and drops dead at the upper end of the flight. Humbert is taken into custody afterwards.
The 1962 Film
Quilty's role is considerably expanded in the 1962 version. The epilogue where Humbert tracks down and kills Quilty is moved to the beginning of the film, thus starting out in medias res. Quilty then appears dancing in a local party with Vivian Darkbloom and even interacts with Charlotte Haze, which kindles his interest for Lolita. This event is non-existent in the book.
In addition, the female high school counselor who persuades Humbert to allow Lolita to be in the school play is in this film replaced by Quilty pretending to be a school counselor with a phony German accent. This plot variation was repeated in Edward Albee's stage adaptation of Lolita.
The 1997 Film
Quilty's role in the 1997 film version is far more faithful to the novel (and thus, smaller) than the Kubrick version. His first encounter with Humbert is taken verbatim from the novel, and briefly appears throughout the rest of the film until his last encounter with Humbert at the end.

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