Amoretta, daughter of Trelcatio, is a comic character with inflated social expectations and a lisp. Piero and Futelli, with the blessing of Trelcatio, arrange to have her courted by Guzman and Fulgoso, also pretentious fools. Amoretta emerges from the trick unscathed. She enjoys their courtship well enough, but when Futelli finally chases them off, she is quite unconcerned. At the end, she and Futelli are betrothed-apparently to their mutual satisfaction.
AURELIO
Friend to Auria. His jealousy on his friend's behalf leads to the temporary separation of Auria and his wife Spinella, and the eventual "Lady's Trial", from which Spinella emerges victorious. At the end, he requests and receives her forgiveness.
AURIA
A Genoese nobleman and the hero of the play. Soon after his marriage to a much younger woman, Spinella, Auria ventures away to recoup his fortune by fighting the Turkish pirates on behalf of the "great Duke of Florence." He leaves his wife behind with stern warnings against occasioning rumour. On his return, after a triumphant campaign, he finds that she has disappeared. His best friend, Aurelio, tells him that in his absence she has betrayed him with Adurni. Auria maintains his belief in Spinella's innocence, though he subjects her to a brief "trial". She acquits herself admirably. Publicly accepting her innocence, Auria seals his peace with Adurni by giving him the hand of Spinella's sister, Castanna, in marriage.
BENATZI
Ex-servant of Adurni and ex-husband of Levidolche. After a checkered career, he returns to Genoa as a beggared outlaw. Levidolche recognizes him at once, though he does not recognize her, and pretends to make a bargain with him: she will marry him if he will kill Malfato and Adurni, who have insulted her. He is prepared to carry out the killings when she tells him the truth, and they are bloodlessly reunited.
CASTANNA
The virtuous sister of Spinella, left in charge of her sister while Auria is away. She defends Spinella to the best of her ability against Auria and Aurelio. At play's end, Auria gives her in marriage to Adurni.
FULGOSO
An "upstart gallant", pretentious and foolish, tricked by Piero and Futelli into courting Amoretta. Finally, after the failure of his courtship, he offers his services to Auria, the returning hero-whether successfully or not is left unclear.
FUTELLI
A dependant of Adurni, witty and mischievous. He brings Adurni the love-letter his mistress, Levidolche,, has written to Malfato, thus ending Adurni's love for her. Then, together with his friend Piero, he sets up a plot whereby the foolish Amoretta will be courted by two fools, Guzman and Fulgoso. After showing Amoretta how absurd these two are, he ends up marrying her himself.
GUZMAN
A "braggadocchio Spaniard", who, like Fulgoso, is tricked by Futelli and Piero into courting Amoretta. Like Fulgoso, he ends by seeking the patronage of Auria.
LEVIDOLCHE
Niece of Martino, in whose house she lives. Levidolche is divorced from her husband, Benatzi, and lives a degraded life. She is the mistress of Adurni until his followers, Futelli and Piero, show him a letter in which she propositions Malfato. Cast off by Adurni, rejected by Malfato, in disgrace with her uncle, she suddenly sees Benatzi, now fallen on hard times. She knows him at once, but he does not recognize her. Concealing her knowledge, she remarries him on condition that he will kill Adurni and Malfato. At last, to the relief of Martino and the pleasure of Benatzi, she reveals the truth. The man she has married is not a dangerous stranger but her own husband. She is returning to respectable married life, and she no longer hates Adurni and Malfato. No one is killed, and the approving gentry give her money in token of her reformation.
MALFATO
Cousin of Spinella and secretly in love with her. He is furious at receiving the love-letter from Levidolche, assuming that Adurni is trying to push his old mistress onto him. When Spinella is insulted by Aurelio, she runs away to Malfato's house. He begins to declare his love for her, but quickly stops when she shows that she dislikes it. He accompanies her back to Auria and defends her indignantly during her "trial". Malfato is finally reconciled with Adurni, but beyond that there is no happy ending for him.
MARTINO
A Genoese citizen, uncle of Levidolche, who lives under his roof. He is appalled by her loose behaviour and reproaches her over it. When he learns that she has just married a rough-looking outlaw, he despairs, but is delighted when she tells him that her new husband is really her old, divorced husband, Benatzi.
PARADO
The name taken by Benatzi when he appears as an outlaw.
PIERO
A dependant of Adurni and friend of Futelli, with whom he plots the joke-courtship of Amoretta by Guzman and Fulgoso.
SPINELLA
The "Lady" of the title and young wife of Auria. Spinella is devoted to her husband, and distressed when he leaves her behind for his campaign against the Turks. Invited in his absence with her sister, Castanna, to the house of Adurni, she finds herself trapped alone with her host and forced to listen to his gallant courtship. Auria's friend Aurelio forces his way into the locked room, finds her, and refuses to believe that she is innocent. Spinella flees to the house of her cousin, Malfato, where she soon puts a stop to his declarations of love. Persuaded by Castanna that her husband wants her back, she returns home. After putting her through a brief "trial", in which she defends herself against both him and Aurelio, Auria declares his complete faith in her innocence. She accepts him in return.
TRELCATIO
A Genoese citizen, father of Amoretta. He supports the plot of Piero and Futelli to arrange two absurd courtships for her in order to reduce her unreasonable expectations. He accepts with good grace the final outcome: that she decides to marry Futelli himself.