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A character in The Handmaid's Tale

The Commander

The Commander is a senior Gilead official who performs the Ceremony with Offred.

The book

Cover of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood, 1985

One woman remembers freedom while authoritarian rules become ordinary through repetition, fear, and religious language.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

The Commander is a senior Gilead official who performs the Ceremony with Offred. He wants companionship, admiration, and forbidden entertainment without surrendering the power his society gives him. He brings Offred into his office and later to Jezebel’s. The Historical Notes suggest possible identities, including Fred Waterford, but do not confirm one. His eventual fate is uncertain.

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