The action of the play begins three months after the death of Alphonso's and Frederick's father, the King of Naples. For those three months, Alphonso has been afflicted by a melancholy that has resulted in silence, and all attempts to cure him have been unsuccessful. Although Alphonso is the eldest and, therefore, the rightful King of Naples, he has been passed up either because of his muteness or because his brother has usurped the throne. (The play is unclear on this point.) Alphonso has been sent to live in a monastery, where Rugio and Friar Marco care for him. Once a day, Alphonso visits his father's tomb, still mourning his death. Meanwhile, the Neapolitan lords (Camillo, Cleanthes, and Menallo) and other subjects of Naples consider Alphonso to be their rightful king. They lament his illness and criticize the wicked Frederick. Frederick engages the ambitious Sorano to poison Alphonso; however, the poison proves an antidote, and Alphonso is restored to full health and finally takes the throne. He sentences Frederick and Sorano to confinement in the monastery and blesses Valerio's and Evanthe's marriage.
BRANDINO
A "ghost character." He is referred to as the "Father to the Princess" (although there is no princess in the play). Before the beginning of the play Brandino had attempted to cure the rightful heir Alphonso of his melancholy so that he could inherit the throne of Naples.
CAMILLO
Camillo, along with his fellow noblemen Cleanthes and Menallo, laments that Alphonso, rightful king of Naples, has been usurped by his wicked brother Frederick. He takes comfort in the fact that since his wife is sick in the country she and he are safe from Frederick's libidinous desires. He participates in the ultimately successful plot to restore Alphonso to the throne.
CAMILLO'S WIFE
A "ghost character." Because she is sick in the country she and Camillo are safe from Frederick's libidinous desires. This fact gives Camillo comfort.
CARE
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
CASSANDRA
The dramatis personae describes Cassandra as "an old bawd, waiting-woman to Evanthe." While striving to fend off the libidinous advances of King Frederick and at the same time honor her legitimate love for Valerio, Evanthe receives no help from Cassandra. Cassandra's first offense is to relinquish Evanthe's box of letters and writings to Sorano's creature Podramo so that Frederick learns of the love between Evanthe and Valerio. For this betrayal Evanthe curses Cassandra and calls her an "unconsiderate Ass" and a "brainless Ideot." Cassandra's response is to rail at Podramo and insist that he deceived her. Later in the play, King Frederick promises Cassandra that she will be married to a lord and made a lady if she will only help him to persuade Evanthe to sleep with him. Cassandra agrees, reasoning that "a little evil may well be suffered for a general good."
CASTRUCCIO
According to the dramatis personae, Castruccio is the "Captain of the Citadel" and "an honest man." He appears in act four, and it is his reluctant duty to part the lovers Evanthe and Valerio and keep them from consummating their marriage on the eve of Valerio's execution. When Alphonso is restored to health, however, Castruccio is one of the first to swear his duty to the rightful king. He lies to Frederick, telling him that Alphonso is indeed dead and his body thrown into the sea, all the while taking part in the plot to restore Alphonso to the throne.
CITIZENS and CITY WIVES
Early in the play, the city wives want to go to the wedding, and they request admission from Tony, the king's fool. Wife One and Wife Two are young and beautiful, so they are allowed in. Wife Three is old and is denied entrance, but she and her husband vow to enter nonetheless. Tony, Cleanthes, Camillo, and Menallo think that these ladies have come to court to rendezvous with noblemen. In the second act of the play, while Camillo, Cleanthes, and Menallo are calling for the entrance of the "handsome wives" and the exclusion of their husbands, it is revealed that some of the wives are citizen men in "queans" clothes.
CLEANTHES
Cleanthes, along with his fellow noblemen Camillo and Menallo, laments that Alphonso, rightful king of Naples, has been usurped by his wicked brother Frederick. He takes comfort in the fact that since his wife is old she won't be a target for Frederick's lust. He participates in the ultimately successful plot to restore Alphonso to the throne.
CLEANTHES'S WIFE
A "ghost character." Because she is old, she won't be a target for Frederick's lust. Cleanthes takes comfort in this fact.
CUPID and GRACES
Of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque, only Cupid speaks. Cupid's attendants include not only Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, but also Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
CUTPURSE
Along with Lawyer, Physician, and Captain, one of four named suitors who comes to the court of Naples on the day of Valerio's execution in order to woo Valerio's soon-to-be widow, Evanthe. The Fool interrogates them and finds them corrupt, and Evanthe rejects them, finding them old and diseased. Frederick offers Evanthe in marriage for a month, but the sad joke is that these suitors are too old to last that long.
DELIGHT
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
DESIRE
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
DESPAIR
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
DISTRUST
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
EVANTHE
The dramatis personae describes Evanthe as "chaste." Although her shamelessly ambitious brother Sorano tries to force her to give in to the libidinous desires of King Frederick, and Frederick himself praises her beauty, promises advancement, and even offers to divorce the queen and marry Evanthe, Evanthe flatly refuses to sleep with Frederick and defends the Queen as honest, virtuous, and beautiful. Impressed by Evanthe's loyalty and integrity, the Queen takes her into her protection. Unfortunately, Cassandra, Evanthe's waiting woman, relinquishes Evanthe's box of secret writings to Sorano's man, Podramo. The writings are made public that Evanthe and Valerio are in love. Upon learning that he has a rival, and jealous of Evanthe's genuine affection, Frederick delivers a curious sentence upon Valerio: he is to marry Evanthe, but only for a month, after which time he will be put to death. Sorano devises a more painful punishment: Valerio may do nothing more than kiss his new wife; otherwise, he will be put to death before the month is up. Neither may Valerio tell Evanthe about the new restrictions he is under–again, on pain of immediate death. Poor Evanthe is eager to consummate her marriage, and she is left frustrated, angry, and confused by Valerio's rejection. After having been told by Frederick that Valerio has simply lost interest in her, Evanthe confronts Valerio. Valerio confesses, and Evanthe scolds him for not telling her the secret torture he was under. Valerio apologizes, and the two attempt secretly to consummate their marriage on the eve of Valerio's death; however, they are stopped by the king's captain, Castruccio. The next day, Evanthe, who believes she is now a widow, is offered up in marriage. Frederick invites Cutpurse, Lawyer, Physician, and Captain to compete for a month with Evanthe, but Evanthe rejects the men as being too "old" and "diseased." At that point, a dashing, noble soldier named Urbino enters, and Evanthe agrees to marry him. It is actually Valerio in disguise. He reveals himself to Frederick, and Valerio, his friends, and most of Naples, turn on Frederick and reinstate the rightful king, Alphonso. Evanthe begs Alphonso to show mercy to her brother Sorano. Alphonso sentences Sorano to live in a monastery with Frederick and gives his blessing to the marriage of Evanthe and Valerio.
FANCY
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
FEAR
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
FREDERICK
The dramatis personae describes Frederick as a "usurper," but a speech of Camillo's suggests that Frederick "was chosen to inherit" the throne of Naples after his brother Alphonso, who suffered from a melancholy and resulting silence, was deemed incapable. In calling him a usurper, then, the dramatis personae suggests that Frederick may have had something to do with causing Alphonso's illness. From the beginning, the other characters describe Frederick as self-interested and libidinous. His desire is directed mostly towards Evanthe, one of his wife's waiting women and sister to Sorano, a wicked, ambitious lord. Sorano tries to force his sister to sleep with Frederick, and Frederick tries to seduce her by praising her beauty, promising to advance her, and even offering to divorce the queen and marry her, but Evanthe, in love with the valiant Valerio, will not be persuaded. Upon learning that he has a rival, and jealous of Evanthe's genuine affection for Valerio, Frederick delivers a curious sentence: Valerio is to marry Evanthe, but only for a month, after which time he will be put to death. Sorano suggests a harsher sentence, and Frederick relinquishes to him all authority in the matter. Meanwhile, Frederick talks to Valerio and Evanthe individually, claiming to each one that the other has been untrue. Neither is deceived by Frederick's lies. Frederick begins to worry that his ill, cloistered brother has too many supporters, and he engages Sorano to poison Alphonso. The poison proves an antidote to Alphonso, who is restored to health and takes the throne. Alphonso sentences Frederick and Sorano to live out their days at the monastery. Additionally, Frederick must mourn his father's death daily, as Alphonso has done.
HOPE
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
IRE
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
JEALOUSY
One of the characters in Evanthe's and Valerio's wedding masque. Only Cupid speaks, but Cupid's attendants include hopeful characters of Fancy, Desire, Delight, Hope, and also the dire characters Fear, Distrust, Jealousy, Care, Ire, and Despair, suggesting that in the lovers' marriage, misery will outweigh happiness. Valerio finds this to be the case when shortly after the wedding the king forbids him from consummating his marriage.
KING of NAPLES
A "ghost character." His death three months before the start of the play has made Alphonso king, but Alphonso's grief over the death has rendered him mute and melancholy and therefore unfit to rule. Alphonso spends much of the play in a monastery mourning. At play's end, when Alphonso is restored to health and to the throne, he sentences his wicked brother, Frederick, inter alia, to the monastery where he must mourn daily over the dead king their father.
LAWYER
Along with Cutpurse, Physician, and Captain, one of four named suitors who comes to the court of Naples on the day of Valerio's execution in order to woo Valerio's soon-to-be widow, Evanthe. Tony, the fool, interrogates them and finds them corrupt, and Evanthe rejects them, finding them old and diseased. Frederick offers Evanthe in marriage for a month, but the sad joke is that these suitors are too old to last that long.
MARCO
Friar Marco, along with Rugio, watches over Alphonso, usurped King of Naples, who before the play begins has been stricken with a melancholy silence. Alphonso's illness had occurred at the very second that his father died, and the play suggests that the melancholy was a result either of grief or possibly having been drugged by his ambitious brother Frederick, who assumed the throne, and Frederick's wicked helper, Sorano. When, in IV.i, Sorano comes to the monastery that houses Alphonso, claiming to have an antidote to heal Alphonso, Rugio and Friar Marco refuse to let him in, knowing that Sorano is trying to kill the usurped king. When Sorano sneaks in anyway and gives the poison to Alphonso, Rugio and Friar Marco blame themselves. However, the potion that Sorano had intended to kill Alphonso actually does prove to be an antidote, and Rugio and Friar Marco rejoice when Alphonso is restored to health and to his throne.
MENALLO
Menallo is a former soldier. Along with his fellow noblemen Camillo and Cleanthes, he laments that Alphonso, rightful king of Naples, has been usurped by his wicked brother Frederick. He reasons that since his wife is "ugly" and "honest" she and he are safe from Frederick's libidinous desires. He participates in the ultimately successful plot to restore Alphonso to the throne.
MENALLO'S WIFE
A "ghost character." Because she is "ugly" and "honest" she and Menallo are safe from Frederick's libidinous desires. Menallo takes comfort in this.
PHYSICIAN
Along with Lawyer, Cutpurse, and Captain, one of four named suitors who comes to the court of Naples on the day of Valerio's execution in order to woo Valerio's soon-to-be widow, Evanthe. Tony, the fool, interrogates them and finds them corrupt, and Evanthe rejects them, finding them old and diseased. Frederick offers Evanthe in marriage for a month, but the sad joke is that these suitors are too old to last that long.
PODRAMO or PODRANO
The dramatis personae describes Podramo (also Podrano) as "a necessary creature to Sorano." Podramo's most significant act is persuading Evanthe's waiting woman, Cassandra, to procure Evanthe's secret letters, including love verses from Valerio, and bringing them to the attention of Sorano and the wicked King Frederick.
QUEEN of NAPLES
The Queen of Naples responds to her husband, the wicked King Frederick, with a strange mixture of defiance and submission. She is angry at being neglected by her husband and grateful that Evanthe did not succumb to his adulterous advances. Evanthe cites her as an example of bravery and female heroism. The Queen encourages Evanthe to accept the king's sentence and to go bravely into death. The Queen disappears from the text around the middle of the play.
RUGIO
Rugio, along with Friar Marco, watches over Alphonso, usurped King of Naples, who before the play begins has been stricken with a melancholy silence. Alphonso's illness had occurred at the very second that his father died, and the play suggests that the melancholy was a result either of grief or possibly having been drugged by his ambitious brother Frederick, who assumed the throne, and Frederick's wicked helper, Sorano. When, in IV.i, Sorano comes to the monastery that houses Alphonso, claiming to have an antidote to heal Alphonso, Rugio and Friar Marco refuse to let him in, knowing that Sorano is trying to kill the usurped king. When Sorano sneaks in anyway and gives the poison to Alphonso, Rugio and Friar Marco blame themselves. However, the potion that Sorano had intended to kill Alphonso actually does prove to be an antidote, and Rugio and Friar Marco rejoice when Alphonso is restored to health and his throne.
SORANO
Evanthe's brother and an ambitious courtier in the court of the wicked Frederick. Sorano indulges King Frederick's every whim, encouraging the unrightful, usurping king to take every advantage of his absolute power. He encourages the king's libidinous interest in Evanthe, one of the queen's ladies in waiting and Sorano's sister, who is secretly in love with Valerio, an honorable courtier. Sorano argues that the Queen will not be angry at a liaison between the king and Evanthe, and he promises to procure Evanthe for the king. When Evanthe refuses, Sorano suspects that she has another love, and he sends his man Podramo to rifle his sister's letters and private papers. Sorano and Frederick discover verses to Evanthe written by Valerio, and Frederick immediately realizes that Valerio is his rival. Frederick's initial sentence is that the lovers are granted one month to live as husband and wife after which time they die, but Sorano insists that this is letting them off too easily. Frederick gives Sorano his ring, and allows him to "take all authority." Sorano's new sentence is that Valerio may do nothing more than kiss his new wife Evanthe; otherwise, he dies instantly. Additionally, Valerio may not tell Evanthe of his sentence under pain of death. Meanwhile, Sorano feeds Frederick's anxiety about Alphonso, and Frederick engages Sorano to kill the usurped king once and for all. Sorano prepares a poison and an antidote. He takes the antidote himself, and then takes the poison in front of Alphonso's guardians, Friar Marco and Rugio, to demonstrate that he does not intend to harm Alphonso. In truth, Sorano gives Alphonso poison, but Nature intervenes, and the poison proves medicinal to Alphonso, who is fully restored to health and to the throne. Alphonso sentences Sorano to live out the rest of his life enclosed in the monastery.
URBINO
In the final act of the play, Valerio takes on the disguise of Urbino, a soldier of noble descent who has come to court to woo the soon-to-be widowed Evanthe. Evanthe readily agrees to the marriage, but the evil King of Naples, Frederick, stops it. At that moment, Valerio takes off his disguise and orders the castle bells to ring, signaling the return of the rightful king, Alphonso, and the overthrow of Frederick.
VALERIO
Valerio, described in the dramatis personae as "a noble young Lord," is in love with Evanthe. Evanthe is also the object of desire of the wicked Frederick, usurping King of Naples. When Frederick learns that Evanthe returns Valerio's affections, he devises a curious punishment: Valerio will marry Evanthe but only for a month after which time he will be put to death. Initially, Valerio is thrilled with the King's sentence. He reckons that he will have the best of both worlds: being able to marry and enjoy the woman he loves without having to live long enough to see his love grow old. Sorano, Evanthe's ambitious brother, who is one of Frederick's creatures, devises a more punishing sentence: Valerio may do nothing more than kiss Evanthe; otherwise, he dies immediately, even before his month is out. Additionally, Valerio is not allowed to tell Evanthe about Sorano's new sentence; instead, he makes excuses (arguing for the benefits of the platonic mingling of souls; claiming to be impotent), and poor Evanthe is left confused, angry, and hurt. Valerio's "torture" ends when the rightful king, Alphonso, is restored to full health and to the throne. Alphonso blesses their union.
TONY
Tony (also Tonie) is described as "King Frederick's knavish fool." Although he is the Fool, Tony has less in common with Shakespeare's Feste and more in common with Webster's Bosola. His commentary on the events and people in the play is alternatively misogynistic, moralistic, and mean. None of his actions effects the outcome of the play. For instance, he is the one who lets in the wedding guests, and there is some suggestion that Tony's admittance of citizens and their wives might cause a scandal, but nothing comes of it. Tony also interrogates the candidates for Evanthe's second husband, the Cutpurse, Lawyer, Physician, and Captain, and although he finds them corrupt, his opinion has little influence upon Evanthe's rejection of them.