A Sicilian courtier, Alphonso is asked to second the Duke of Epire in the double combat against the King of Cyprus and Philocles, and is defeated by Philocles. Attracted to Lollia, the wife of Prate the Orator, Alphonso attempts to seduce her and is invited to visit her while her husband is arguing before the Senate. When Mariana is faced with execution, Alphonso offers to beg the King to rescind the sentence, but his pleas are unsuccessful. He meets Lollia for their assignation; when Prate returns unexpectedly, Alphonso is forced to leave the house in Prate's unfashionable clothes and thus attired is later arrested by the Watchmen for persisting in his efforts to see the King. When the King discovers Alphonso's plain outfit, the courtier confesses his attempted seduction, and the King uses this confession to assure Prate that his wife has not been unchaste.
CAELSO
The Queen of Sicily's marshal who, with Florio, performs the formal questioning of the combatants at the contest for the Queen's hand.
CHIP
Assists Shaving in the construction of the scaffold on which Mariana is to be executed, and takes part in a pun-filled discussion of ways to cause a woman to die.
COLLAQUINTIDA
A friend of Lollia's, Collaquintida scorns husbands, provides a frank account of female sexual desires, and serves as a go-between for Lollia and Alphonso. Collaquintida witnesses the near-confrontation between Alphonso and Lollia's husband Prate when the latter returns home unexpectedly during his wife and Alphonso's assignation.
DOCTORS
After Philocles takes his vow of silence, two doctors are brought into the court to report on his condition and confirm that it is incurable.
DRAPE
A country gentleman who hires Prate the Orator to present his suit to the king and who is enraged when Prate fails to do so. After the King has resolved his differences with the Queen, he grants the suit.
EPIRE
A Sicilian Duke, Epire agrees to fight as a champion for the Queen of Sicily against the King of Cyprus who wants to marry the Queen. The Duke defeats the King but is in turn defeated by Philocles, the King's second. Enraged, Epire vows revenge, and renews this vow when the King orders the execution of Epire's sister Mariana, who has failed in her promise to cure Philocles' speechlessness. Epire avenges these wrongs by giving the King false accounts of the Queen's infidelity; he intends to convince the King to kill the Queen, then plans to proclaim the Queen's innocence and persuade her subjects to depose the King and make Epire the monarch. Disguised as guards, Epire and the King spy on the Queen and, when she dances with Philocles, Epire encourages the King's jealous thoughts. Epire removes his disguise to announce the King's impending return; the Queen invites Epire to play cards with her, but he claims state business and suggests Philocles instead. Epire narrates the card game for the King, offering lascivious interpretations of the Queen and Philocles' comments and card play. The King removes his disguise and orders the arrest of the Queen and Philocles; he sends Epire to summon Parliament to confirm the death sentence he orders. Epire plans to fight the King for the crown after the Queen's death, and offers a triumphant account of his deeds to his sister Mariana, who reminds Epire of Philocles' friendship. When the Queen challenges the law, Epire serves as the King's champion, a further betrayal of the Queen, but is defeated by Philocles. The King allows the Queen to sentence Epire, and she grants him mercy, advising him to live to repent.
EXECUTIONER
Charged with executing Mariana, the Executioner first asks her forgiveness, which she grants. His work is interrupted when Philocles unexpectedly breaks his vow of silence, stopping the execution.
FLORIO
The King of Cyprus' marshal, Florio is charged with constructing the arena for the double combat in which the king will attempt to win the hand of the Queen of Sicily; later, with Caelso, he conducts the formal questioning of the combatants before the contest. Meshant consults Florio for advice on bringing a suit to the King's attention. When Epire convinces the King that the Queen has been unfaithful, the King orders Florio to lead the guards who are to arrest the Queen.
GENTLEMAN USHER
Mute who passes over the stage to establish the location as the court.
GUARDS
Present during the Queen's revels, the guards include the King and Epire who have disguised themselves in an effort to uncover the Queen's supposed infidelity. The real guards arrest the Queen and Philocles at the King's order.
JAILER
Keeper of the royal prison, the jailer accepts a bribe from Mariana to allow her to visit Philocles. During the visit, the lovers exchange clothing, enabling Philocles to escape from the prison.
JOHN
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
JULIAN
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
KING OF CYRPUS
Desperately in love with the Queen of Sicily, the King of Cyprus has laid siege to her country to win her. When the Queen threatens suicide, the King agrees to double combat; he will fight the Duke of Epire, and the King's second, Philocles, will fight Alphonso. The Duke defeats the King, but Philocles defeats both Alphonso and the Duke, winning the Queen for the King. After Philocles takes his vow of silence, the King seeks a cure for his friend's speechlessness, offering a large reward to anyone who succeeds, but promising death to anyone who fails. When Mariana accepts the challenge and fails to convince Philocles to break the vow she forced him to make, the King sentences her to death, resisting all pleas for mercy and inviting the vengeance of Mariana's brother Epire. The King is summoned from a chess game by Epire, who attempts to convince the King that the Queen has been unfaithful. Hearing this, the King threatens to kill Epire, but is soon convinced of the Queen's infidelity. Epire promises to show the King the Queen in bed with Philocles, announcing in an aside that after the King kills the Queen, Epire will proclaim the Queen's innocence so the King will be deposed and Epire can take the throne. The King and Epire disguise themselves as guards to observe the Queen who dances with Philocles, inadvertently convincing the King she has been unfaithful. Epire removes his disguise and announces the King's imminent return; the Queen ends the revels and asks Epire to play cards with her. He claims he is too busy and sends Philocles to her closet; Epire and the King secretly observe the game, and Epire interprets the Queen's conversation and card play as disguised flirtation. The King orders the guard to arrest the Queen, and he sends Epire to assemble Parliament, intending to condemn the Queen and Philocles without allowing either of them to speak. The Queen challenges the law, and Philocles, who has escaped from prison, fights as her champion, defeating Epire and extracting a confession from him. The King begs pardon of all and allows the Queen to determine Epire's fate. The King settles the suits of Drape and Veloups, pronounces Prate's wife chaste, and restores Meshant's property.
LOLLIA
The wife of Prate the Orator, Lollia has aristocratic aspirations and allows her friend Collaquintida to serve as a go-between with Alphonso, a courtier who lusts after Lollia. Despite Lollia's complaints about her husband and his poor clothing, Prate arranges for her to watch the double combat from a good seat. When Prate is called to appear before the Senate, Lollia arranges an assignation with Alphonso. Prate returns home unexpectedly, spies Alphonso's extravagant clothing on Lollia's bed, and demands an explanation. When Lollia claims the rich suit is one she intended to buy for her husband, he wears it to the Senate. Alphonso confesses his attempted infidelity to the King; when Prate suspects his wife has been unfaithful, the King declares Lollia a chaste wife.
MARIANA
Attendant to the Queen of Sicily and sister of the Duke of Epire, Mariana is loved by Philocles but does not initially return his affection, delivering instead a bitter assessment of marriage. When Philocles asks her to assign him a difficult task in return for a favor, she agrees; in exchange for a single kiss, the knight must remain silent for one year. Mariana is triumphant because she will no longer have to listen to Philocles' importunities. When the King offers a huge reward to anyone who can restore Philocles' speech, Mariana accepts the challenge, although the penalty for failure is death. She orders Philocles to break his vow, but he refuses despite Mariana's increasingly desperate pleas. Led to her execution, Mariana gives a rousing speech asserting her innocence; Philocles speaks just as the execution is about to take place. Mariana swoons, then confesses her love for Philocles who rejects her. When the Queen desires entertainment in the King's absence, Mariana delivers an oration to prove a fair woman must be proud. When Philocles and the Queen are jailed due to the King's false suspicions that they are lovers, Mariana bribes the jailer, visits Philocles, and exchanges clothes with him, enabling his escape. As the Queen is being led to her execution, Mariana suggests she challenge the law, and the Queen's honor is successfully defended by Philocles, to whom the King praises Mariana for her loyalty.
MARY
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
MESHANT
A Sicilian lord and client of Prate's who is punished by having his land confiscated because the Queen of Sicily is convinced Meshant has helped the King of Cyprus pursue her. After winning the Queen's hand, the King is too distracted to help Meshant who then appeals to Florio, Alphonso, and Epire before threatening rebellion. Prate's clerk President ignores Meshant's requests to see the orator. When Meshant next visits Prate's house, he vows to make Prate a cuckold and is overjoyed to discover the assignation between Lollia and Alphonso. Meshant witnesses and comments wittily on the turmoil caused by Prate's unexpected return home. During Epire's plot to accuse the Queen of infidelity, Meshant summons the Watchmen who are to prevent anyone from visiting the King. After the King and Queen reconcile, Meshant confirms that Alphonso's effort to seduce Lollia was unsuccessful, and the King restores Meshant's confiscated property.
PAGES
Four mute pages carry the weapons for the contest between the Queen's champions and the King and his second.
PHILOCLES
The dumb knight, also spelled Phylocles. In love with Mariana, an attendant to the Queen of Sicily, Philocles agrees to be the second to the King of Cyprus in his double combat to win the Queen's hand. Philocles defeats his opponent Alphonso then, when the King fails against his opponent, defeats the Duke of Epire as well. Encountering Mariana in court, Philocles declares his love for her but is rejected. He begs her to impose a task in exchange for a favor, and she agrees. The favor he asks is a kiss; the task she imposes is that Philocles remain silent for a year so she will no longer have to listen to his importunities. The King, after hearing from his doctors that Philocles' silence is incurable, offers a huge reward to anyone who can cure Philocles, and promises death to those whose attempted cures fail. Mariana offers to effect a cure and orders Philocles to ignore his vow to her and speak. He refuses, and the King orders her execution. Just as the executioner prepares to strike, Philocles speaks, and Mariana is saved. She declares her love for him, but he repudiates her, declaring he will not love her until she makes a sacrifice similar to his. When the King is thought to be away, Philocles obeys the Queen's request that he play cards with her. The King discovers them, having been made to suspect an affair by the lies of the Duke of Epire. Philocles is imprisoned; Mariana visits him and they exchange clothes, enabling him to escape. Philocles returns to serve as the Queen's champion and defeats the Duke of Epire, forcing him to admit his lies. The King begs for Philocles' forgiveness, which is granted, and praises Mariana's loyalty.
PHYSICIAN
Mute who passes over the stage to establish the location as the court.
PRATE
An orator and jealous husband, Prate is hounded by his wife Lollia and numerous clients. He arranges for Lollia to get good seats at the double combat for the Queen of Sicily's hand. When he is invited to draw up the articles of marriage between the Queen of Sicily and King of Cyprus, Prate dismisses his clients Drape, Veloups, and Meshant, to their dismay. Meshant vows revenge and is a witness when Prate returns home unexpectedly and nearly catches Lollia and Alphonso in bed together. Discovering Alphonso's extravagant clothes on his wife's bed, Prate allows Lollia to convince him the suit belongs to a neighbor who is trying to sell it. He wears it for his appearance before the Senate. After praising Prate for his plain clothes, the King ungowns him, exposing Alphonso's elaborate outfit. When the outfit's real owner is identified, Prate concludes he has been cuckolded, but the King offers assurances that Prate's wife has been faithful.
PRESDIENT
Prate the orator's clerk and a master of the obscene pun, President secures seats for Lollia and his master at the double combat for the Queen of Sicily's hand, and ignores Prate's clients in favor of a copy of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis, from which he reads aloud.
QUEEN OF SICILY
The unwilling object of the King of Cyprus' affection, the Queen refuses the King's importunities; in response, he lays siege to her country. To save lives, she first threatens suicide, then proposes double combat between her champions the Duke of Epire and Alphonso and the King, who is seconded by Philocles. The King loses to the Duke, but Philocles defeats Alphonso and then the Duke, winning the Queen for the King. When the King offers a huge reward to anyone who can cure Philocles, the Dumb Knight, the Queen begs Mariana not to accept the challenge, and later begs the King to spare Mariana's life. Mariana's brother, Epire, enraged by the near-execution of his sister, plots against the royal couple, hoping to convince the King that the Queen has been unfaithful. Persauding the King to disguise himself as a guard, Epire brings the King to observe the Queen's revels. The Queen dances with Philocles, inflaming the King's jealousy; then she encourages Mariana to argue that a fair woman should be proud. When Epire reveals himself and announces the King's imminent return, the Queen ends the revels, asking Philocles to play cards with her. Their innocent discussion of the game is overheard by the King and Epire; the latter "interprets" each remark as a sign of infidelity. The King orders the arrest of the Queen and Philocles, and intends to condemn them to death without a trial. As the Queen tries to speak to the King as she is on her way to her execution, he stops his ears; Mariana then suggest the Queen challenge the law. The Queen does this, and Philocles, who has escaped from prison and is in disguise, fights on her behalf, defeating Epire and forcing the Duke to confess his plot against the King and Queen. The King begs the Queen's pardon and allows her to determine Epire's fate; the Queen sentences him to live to repent.
ROBERT
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
SCANDERBAG
A ghost character named as an ancestor of the Duke of Epire.
SHAVING
Assists Chip in constructing the scaffold upon which Mariana is to be executed, and takes part in a pun-filled discussion of ways to cause a woman to die.
SISLIE
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
THOMAS
A "ghost character." Prate and Lollia's servant who is summoned but never appears during the near-discovery of Lollia and Alphonso's assignation.
VELOUPS
A Sicilian citizen who has hired Prate to present a suit to the King to obtain the royal grant for trade with Spain; he is enraged when Prate fails to attend to this business. After the King has resolved his differences with the Queen, he grants the suit.
WAITING MAID
Mute who passes over the stage to establish the location as the court.
WATCHMEN
Brought to the court by Meshant when the King is investigating the Queen's infidelity, and ordered to prevent anyone from seeing the King. When Alphonso, wearing Prate's clothes, persists in his efforts to see the King, the watchmen arrest him.