The virtuous Annabel, daughter of Sir Godfrey, marries Vallenger but is immediately scorned and neglected by him. She remains unswervingly loyal, even disguising herself as a man and offering to die in his place. She is eventually rewarded by his repentance and reformation.
BLUNT
Blunt is the name adopted by Harbert in disguise. He uses it as an excuse for his blunt behavior.
CHALLENGER
Challenger is in love with Sir Godfrey's daughter Annabel. When his friend Vallenger also falls in love with her, Challenger wounds him and flees. Hearing that Vallenger is to marry Annabel, Challenger returns disguised as an Italian doctor named Julio. Vallenger, who loves Florence instead, commissions him to murder Annabel, but Challenger reveals the plot. At the end, however, he offers to die in Vallenger's place because of his love for Annabel.
CHAMBERS
Master Chambers is a gentleman of Bristol and Challenger's friend.
CONSTABLE
Summoned by Harbert to the scene of the supposed murder. The constable then arrests Harbert for the supposed crime.
DOUCE
Douce is courted by Frog and agrees to marry him.
ELLEN UMPHREVIL
Ellen is the wife of Sir Godfrey and the mother of Annabel.
FLORENCE
Florence is a courtesan with whom Sentloe is in love. She deserts him in favor of Vallenger but abandons him too when he is disinherited. She tries to suborn the supposed Blunt first to kill Sentloe and then to frame Vallenger for his death. The sight of Annabel's goodness leads her to repent at play's end, so the king commutes her death sentence and sends her to a house of convertites.
FRIAR
In the last scene Sentloe appears disguised as a friar until Harbert eventually reveals that he is alive.
FROG
Frog is Sir Godfrey's man. He marries Douce.
HARBERT
Harbert, Sentloe's friend, first cautions him against the courtesan Florence and then follows him disguised as a servingman. He pretends to agree to kill Sentloe for Florence, but instead gives him a sleeping draught. Finding that he has gone to sleep next to Vallenger, he smears both with blood and calls the Watch. He confesses his part in the supposed plot and is sentenced to death, but this is repealed when he is able to produce Sentloe alive.
JAQUES
Challenger's man.
JULIO
Julio is the name adopted by Challenger when he disguises himself as an Italian doctor. Vallenger commissions "Dr. Julio" to murder Sentloe and hints darkly that Annabel will be next.
KEEPER of PRISON
The Keeper guards Vallenger while he is in prison.
LEICESTER
The Earl of Leicester attends on King Richard I.
MASQUERS
The Masquers dance on the occasion at which Vallenger first sees Annabel.
MESSENGERS
Two separate messengers bring Vallenger a letter from his father and fetch the prisoners at the end.
NED VALLENGER
Vallenger, Challenger's friend, is initially scornful of love and women but falls in love at first sight with Annabel. When Challenger wounds him and leaves him for dead, Vallenger is taken in by Annabel's family and subsequently marries her. As soon as the wedding is over, however, Vallenger falls in love with the courtesan Florence. He solicits the supposed Doctor Julio to murder Sentloe, Florence's existing protector, and implies that Annabel herself will be next. He also takes her jewelry to give to Florence. However, Florence turns against him when his father disinherits him, and Vallenger embraces his ensuing disgrace. He is finally pardoned when both Annabel and Challenger agree to die in his place and when it is revealed that Sentloe is not in fact dead.
OFFICERS of the WATCH
Summoned by Harbert to the scene of the supposed murder. They arrest Harbert when he confesses to the supposed crime.
RICHARD the LIONHEART
King Richard the Lionheart returns from fighting in the Holy Land to sentence Harbert and Florence to death, and Vallenger too unless some man will consent to die for him. When he learns that Sentloe is not in fact dead, he commutes all the sentences.
RICHMOND
The Earl of Richmond attends on King Richard.
SARA
A "ghost character." Sara is the late wife of Sir Eustace Vallenger and mother of Vallenger.
SENTLOE
Sentloe is in love with the courtesan Florence and disregards the warnings against her offered by his friend Harbert. He takes her away to Bristow, but there finds himself discarded when Florence chooses Vallenger instead. Sentloe is given a sleeping draught by Harbert and is thereby thought murdered by Vallenger. In the last scene he appears disguised as a friar until Harbert eventually reveals that he is alive.
SIR EUSTACE VALLENGER
Sir Eustace Vallenger is Vallenger's father, but he disinherits him after his scorning of Annabel and joins forces with Sir Godfrey Umphrevil to punish him.
SIR GODFREY UMPHREVIL
Sir Godfrey Umphrevil, Annabel's father, first arranges her marriage with Ned Vallenger and then, when Vallenger scorns him, joins forces with Sir Eustace Vallenger to seek revenge on the errant bridegroom.