Apollo is an attendant of Harmony in the masque with which the play concludes.
BACCHUS
Bacchus is an attendant of Harmony in the masque with which the play concludes.
BALLADWOMAN
The balladwoman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is "giving light" to the learned antiquary.
BARBARA
Barbara is the wife of Blaze. She assumes principal care of Martha.
BASKET WEAVER
The basket weaver is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. The basket weaver is confuting Bellarmine.
BAWD
The bawd is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is one of the dubious characters seeking public relief from poverty. Byplay readily grants her suit.
BEGGAR
The beggar is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. Notably well-spoken, he tries to lend money to the Gallant but cannot because he has only enough money to pay the lawyer, who demands his fee.
BELLARMINE
Bellarmine is a character in the inset play and the only historical person featured in the play. Bellarmine was a cardinal who disputed with James I over the authority of the Pope. In the play the basket weaver refutes him.
BLAZE
A herald painter, Blaze serves as host to Joyless, Diana, and Peregrine. Blaze informs Joyless of Hughball's high rate of success in treating subjects with various mental disorders. Blaze admits to being treated himself by Hughball for obsessive sexual jealousy.
BUFFWOMAN
The Buffwoman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is represented by the lawyer in the Marshall's Court and forces him to accept payment under threat of physical injury.
BYPLAY
Byplay is one of Letoy's men and actors. He is gifted with the ability to speak extemporaneously and act without a script. In the inset play, he provides primary interaction with Peregrine and assumes various roles, including that of judge and statesman.
CAPTAIN
The Captain is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. The captain is suing a coachman who has beaten him and a feathermaker who refuses to take payment for goods received.
CAPTAIN OF THE CUTPURSES
The captain of the cutpurses is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is one of the dubious characters seeking public relief from poverty. Byplay readily grants his suit.
CARMAN
The carman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He exchanges various refined pleasantries with the waterman and the sedanman. His courtly behavior and refinement are a comic contrast to the coarse vulgarity of the courtiers Will and Jack.
CITIZEN
The citizen is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is a mercer who refuses to accept payment from the gentleman for goods provided. Instead, he demands that the gentleman sleep with his wife, in order that his sons might by gentlemen by birth. He sues the gentleman and the judge finds in the citizen's favor.
CONSTABLE
The constable is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He responds to the young gentleman's cries of "Murder!" when the maid begins to beat him, but believes the maid's claims that the young gentleman and his old servingman have attempted to rape her. The constable's order that they be jailed is overturned by Peregrine.
COURTIER
The courtier is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. Though he is a courtier, he is illiterate, coarse, and vulgar. He makes peace between Will and Jack by offering to buy them drinks at the tavern.
CUPID
Cupid is an attendant of Harmony in the masque with which the play concludes.
DIANA
Diana is the young, second wife of Joyless. Suffering under the constraints of her insanely jealous husband, she admires the Antipodean world of the inset play because it shows women holding authority over their husbands. She ultimately proves her virtue by resisting Letoy's seduction and discovers that she is a changeling when he reveals himself as her father.
DISCORD
Discord is a character in the masque with which the play concludes. Folly, Jealousy, Melancholy, and Madness attend Discord.
FOLLY
Folly is an attendant of Discord in the masque with which the play concludes.
GALLANT
The gallant is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He seeks to borrow money from the beggar in order to buy gifts for his grandparents.
GENERAL
The general is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is learning the rudiments of military discipline from the parish clerk.
GENTLEMAN
The gentleman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He has taken gifts from the citizen, who expects, in return, that the gentleman will sleep with his wife. The gentleman is reluctant to fulfill this obligation and wishes instead to pay the citizen money for his goods. When the citizen takes the gentleman to court, the judge, played by Byplay, finds against the gentleman but offers to perform the unfulfilled duty.
HARMONY
Harmony is a character in the masque with which the play concludes. Mercury, Cupid, Bacchus, and Apollo attend her. Harmony vanquishes Discord and her attendants.
HUGHBALL
Hughball is a doctor with a reputation for success in treating mental patients without the use of medicine. He sets out to cure Peregrine at Joyless's request by using the inset play of the Antipodes, staged by Letoy.
GAMESTER
The gamester is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is one of the dubious characters seeking public relief from poverty. Byplay readily grants his suit.
GREAT TRAVELER
The great traveler is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is being instructed by the puritan tradesman in lying.
JACK
Jack is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. Though he is a courtier, he is illiterate, coarse, and vulgar. He brawls with Jack, whom he has kicked.
JEALOUSY
Jealousy is an attendant of Discord in the masque with which the play concludes. Played by Blaze, Jealousy wears a black and yellow suit and is half man and half woman, with one horn and one ear.
JOYLESS
Joyless is the father of Peregrine, husband of Diana. Joyless seeks a cure for the mental disorders of his son and daughter-in-law. He also seeks a cure for his own obsessive sexual jealousy. He is himself cured after Diana resists Letoy's seduction and Letoy reveals himself as Diana's father.
LADY
The lady is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is the wife of the gentleman and insists that he sleep with the citizen's wife.
LAWYER
The lawyer is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He rarely demands a fee from his clients, dresses in rags, and is scrupulously honest-a satiric opposite of London lawyers. The lawyer represents the poet, the captain, the balladwoman, and the beggar, demanding payment from the latter only.
LEARNED ANTIQUARY
The learned antiquary is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is being instructed by the balladwoman.
LETOY
Letoy is described in the dramatis personae as a "fantastic lord." He dresses like a peddler but lives like an emperor. An Epicurean, he stages his own entertainments, including stage plays, which he also writes. He is the permanent host of Hughball and stages the inset play that Hughball uses to cure Peregrine. Letoy pretends to seduce Diana and then reveals himself as her father.
LORD AMBASSADOR
The Lord Ambassador is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He receives grave instruction from the natural fool.
MADNESS
Madness is an attendant of Discord in the masque with which the play concludes.
MAN-SCOLD
The man-scold is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is husband to the Buffwoman and teaches needlework and other "womanish" arts. For his scolding tongue, he is dunked repeatedly by three women.
MAID
The maid is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She accompanies the old woman and upbraids her for her addiction to bear baiting. The maid attempts to seduce the young gentleman. When he resists, she kicks him and his old servingman and accuses them both of attempted rape.
MARTHA
Martha is the wife of Peregrine. She is subject to abrupt mood swings-extreme weeping followed by fits of uncontrollable laughter. Her disorder is caused by sexual deprivation; she has been married for three years without consummation. She is cured when Peregrine takes her to bed, thinking her to be the daughter of the Antipodean king.
MELANCHOLY
Melancholy is an attendant of Discord in the masque with which the play concludes.
MERCURY
Mercury is an attendant of Harmony in the masque with which the play concludes.
NATURAL FOOL
The natural fool is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is giving "grave instruction" to the lord ambassador.
OLD MEN, THREE
The three old men are Antipodeans, characters in the inset play. All old men in the Antipodes are required to attend school in order to maintain their decaying wits. At Peregrine's request, these three are allowed to take the day off.
OLD WOMAN
The old woman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is drunk and blind; however, in spite of her visual impairment, she is addicted to bear baiting.
PARISH CLERK
The parish clerk is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is teaching the general the rudiments of military discipline.
PEREGRINE
Peregrine is the son of Joyless and husband to Martha. Peregrine undergoes treatment with Hughball to be cured of his obsession with travel, which has prevented him from having sexual relations with his wife. He is tricked into thinking that he has been transported half way around the world to the anti-London, located in the Antipodes, where all customs and behaviors are the exact opposite of London's. Peregrine finds a crown and makes himself King of the Antipodes, whereupon Letoy's men, dressed as Antipodeans, present him with Martha as their princess. Peregrine marries her and takes her to bed, whereupon husband and wife are both almost instantly cured.
POET
The poet is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is suing an alderman, who commissioned him to write various poems, for nonpayment. In contrast to the lawyer who represents him, the poet is wealthy and richly dressed.
PROJECTORS (THREE OR FOUR)
The projectors are Antipodeans, characters in the inset play. They propose various ridiculous money making schemes to Byplay, who, posing as a statesman, responds enthusiastically to all of them. One projector presents the suits of various disreputable characters for public relief.
PURITAN TRADESMAN
The puritan tradesman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is teaching the great traveler to lie.
QUAILPIPE
Quailpipe is Letoy's curate.
SEDANMAN
The sedanman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He exchanges various refined pleasantries with the carman and the waterman. His courtly behavior and refinement are a comic contrast to the coarse vulgarity of the courtiers Will and Jack.
SERVINGMAN
The old servingman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He serves the young gentleman and is, along with him, accused of attempting to rape the maid.
SCHISMATIC
The schismatic is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is teaching a scrivener to avoid the punishment of having his ears cut off.
SCRIVENER
The scrivener is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. From the schismatic he is learning to avoid the punishment of having his ears cut off.
TRUELOCK
Truelock is a friend of Letoy's and surrogate father to Diana.
WAITING WOMAN
The waiting woman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. She is servant to the lady and is herself pregnant with the gentleman's child. In Antipodean fashion, the waiting woman holds authority over both the lady and gentleman.
WATERMAN
The waterman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He exchanges various refined pleasantries with the carman and the sedanman. His courtly behavior and refinement are a comic contrast to the coarse vulgarity of the courtiers Will and Jack.
WILL
Will is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. Though he is a courtier, he is illiterate, coarse, and vulgar. He has also lost some money, possibly because of a hole in his pocket. He brawls with Jack, by whom he has been kicked.
WOMEN, THREE
The three women are Antipodeans, characters in the inset play. They are engaged in dunking the man-scold.
YOUNG GENTLEMAN
The young gentleman is an Antipodean, a character in the inset play. He is a parody of contemporary clothing fashions. Accompanied by the old servingman, he resists seduction by the maid, who responds by kicking him and accusing him of rape. Arrested by the constable, he is set at large by Peregrine.