Acrisius is a character in the inset play. Played by Mardona, his imprisonment of his daughter, Danaë, parallels the actions of The Duke of Mantua.
ALTOMARO
Altomaro is the false identity assumed by Bonamico. As Altomaro he claims the ability to make himself and others invisible.
BONAMICO
Bonamico is a mountebank and "decayed artist." In order to escape his creditors, he disguises himself as Altomaro and claims to have, by natural art, the ability to make himself and others invisible. He fails to win the confidence of Rollyardo but has greater success with Morello, Dondolo, and Grutti. Betrayed by his servant, Carlo, he is arrested for debt but gains his freedom when Rollyardo uses the Duke's money to set at large those in prison for debt. In gratitude, he builds a birdcage in which Rollyardo conceals himself and is thus able to gain access to Eugenia.
CARLO
Carlo is the servant who aids Bonamico in his confidence tricks but eventually betrays him by revealing his true identity to Grutti and Dondolo.
CASSIANA
Cassiana is an attendant to Eugenia. She voluntarily follows her into imprisonment by the duke. In the inset play, she plays an unnamed attendant of Danaë.
CATHERINA
Catherina is an attendant to Eugenia. She voluntarily follows her into imprisonment by the Duke. In the inset play, she plays an unnamed attendant of Danaë.
DANAË
Played by Eugenia. Danaë is a character in the inset play. Her father imprisons her, but Jupiter comes to her in a golden shower.
DONDOLO
Dondolo is a courtier and a fop. Along with Morello and Grutti, he seeks access to the women locked and guarded in the castle/prison with Eugenia. When Bonamico as Altomaro offers to make them invisible, they see this as the means by which they will elude the guards. When they perceive that they have been tricked, Dondolo and Grutti plot Bonamico/Altomaro's downfall.
DONELLA
Donella is an attendant to Eugenia. She voluntarily follows her into imprisonment by the duke. She plays Jupiter in the inset play.
DUKE of MANTUA
The Duke of Mantua is the father of Eugenia. While he is negotiating his daughter's marriage to the Prince of Florence, he confines his daughter to a newly built castle/prison so that no man can have access to her. Infuriated by Rollyardo's (Philenzo's) boastful claim that given sufficient means he can do anything, including gaining access to Eugenia, the Duke makes a wager: he will provide Rollyardo with unlimited means and one month in which to gain access to Eugenia. If he fails, he dies. When Rollyardo claims that he has won the wager, the Duke condemns him to death anyway. The Duke does, however, experience a sudden change of heart when the Embassador of Florence announces that Florence has ended marriage negotiations: he calls off the execution and gives his blessing to the marriage of Eugenia and Rollyardo.
EMBASSADOR of FLORENCE
The Embassador of Florence is negotiating the marriage of Eugenia to the Prince of Florence. Informed of Eugenia's love for Philenzo and Philenzo's subsequent banishment, the Embassador renounces the marriage plan.
EUGENIA
Eugenia is the daughter of the Duke of Mantua. Philenzo (Rollyardo) is her lover. She grudgingly assents to imprisonment by her father while he negotiates her marriage to the Prince of Florence. For diversion, she and her attendants enact the story of Jupiter and Danaë, Eugenia taking the role of Danaë. The arrival of a large birdcage concealing Philenzo interrupts the enactment. When the duke condemns Philenzo to death, Eugenia gives him a potion that makes him appear dead already, thus avoiding execution. After the Duke of Florence withdraws from marriage negotiations, Eugenia gains her father's consent to marry Philenzo.
FIDELIA
Fidelia is an attendant to Eugenia. She voluntarily follows her into imprisonment by the duke. In the inset play, she plays an unnamed attendant of Danaë.
FULVIO
Fulvio is a nobleman. With Orpiano, he comments on the hypocrisy of court life and the Duke's folly.
GRUTTI
Grutti is a courtier and a fop. Along with Morello and Dondolo, he seeks access to the women locked and guarded in the castle/prison with Eugenia. When Bonamico as Altomaro offers to make them invisible, they see this as the means by which they will elude the guards. When they perceive that they have been tricked, Grutti and Dondolo plot Bonamico/Altomaro's downfall.
GUARDS
Three or four guards watch the castle/prison of Eugenia. They inform Rollyardo of Perenotto's corruption and detect Morello's disguise as Madame Thorne.
JUPITER
Played by Donella. Jupiter is a character in the inset play. In spite of Acrisius' efforts to protect his daughter, Danaë, Jupiter comes to her in a golden shower. At the point of ravishing her, Jupiter–along with the entire production–is interrupted by the delivery of the birdcage.
MADAME THORNE
Madame Thorne is the disguise assumed by Morello in his attempt to gain access to the castle/prison in which Eugenia and her attendants are held.
MARDONA
Mardona is an attendant to Eugenia. She voluntarily follows her into imprisonment by the duke. She takes the role of Acrisius in the inset play.
MORELLO
Morello is a courtier and a fop. Along with Dondolo and Grutti, he seeks access to the women locked and guarded in the castle/prison with Eugenia. When Bonamico as Altomaro offers to make them invisible, they see this as the means by which they will elude the guards. Morello also tries to gain entry by disguising himself as a woman, Madame Thorne. Easily detected by the guards, he is brought before the Duke and sentenced to wear a petticoat in public for a month. Although Morello is at first humiliated, the punishment leads him to find his true vocation as court jester to the Duke.
ORPIANO
Orpiano is a nobleman. The Duke of Mantua sends him to Florence to negotiate the marriage of Eugenia to the Florentine prince. With Fulvio he comments on the hypocrisy of court life and the Duke's folly.
PERENOTTO
Perenotto is the Captain of the Guard; he is responsible for guarding the castle/prison in which Eugenia is held. A reputedly corrupt official, he entertains Rollyardo's attempted bribe of a costly jewel in exchange for access to Eugenia, but when given the jewel, he promptly refuses to provide the access.
PHILENZO
Philenzo is Eugenia's lover. Banished from Mantua by the Duke for his love of Eugenia, he assumes the identity of Rollyardo.
ROLLYARDO
Rollyardo is the assumed identity of Philenzo. He boasts of his ability to do anything provided sufficient means. This boasting so incenses the Duke of Mantua that the latter challenges him to gain access to Eugenia, locked and guarded in her castle/prison. The Duke will give him one month and unlimited spending privileges, but if Rollyardo fails, he dies. Rollyardo attempts to bribe Perenotto, the Captain of the Guard, who takes his gifts but provides no service. Having lost hope, Rollyardo determines to perform good works to gain prayers after his death; he pays the debts of all who are imprisoned for debt. This act liberates Bonamico, who returns the favor by building a birdcage in which Rollyardo conceals himself. Bonamico presents the cage to the Duke who in turn sends it to his daughter. Delivered in this fashion, Rollyardo reveals himself as Philenzo to Eugenia. However, when Rollyardo appears before the Duke and claims to have won the wager, The Duke condemns him anyway, and condemns him again for treason when he reveals himself as the banished Philenzo. Only when the Duke's own plans for Eugenia's marriage fall through does he repent his actions and give the order to stay Philenzo's execution. Philenzo's life has been spared through the use of a potion that makes him appear dead. When he awakes, the Duke promises him Eugenia's hand in marriage.