Ozaca's husband and an old, jealous Cham. He fears to entertain Orcanes in his home lest he be cuckolded. He attempts to keep them from seeing one another and is annoyed when he accidentally puts her in the garden where Orcanes enters. Later, he drops a letter for Orcanes to find and pretends to be Ozaca at her window and thus discovers Orcanes' intentions. He privately jeers at Orcanes' protestations of chastity but is fooled into running to a garden house fire and leaving Ozaca unguarded from Orcanes while he puts it out. He discovers Orcanes in Ozaca's bedroom but is duped into believing that he raped her and she is chaste. He determines to get his revenge upon the prince without resort to bloodshed. Calibeus goes to Malcosbus for justice over Orcanes' 'rape' of Ozaca, but Melcosbus refuses to punish the prince. In his rage, he joins the captains and soldiers who plan Melcosbus' overthrow. After the king punishes Orcanes with death, Calibeus returns to Ozaca with the happy news. To his surprise, she stabs him and herself whilst confessing she went willingly to the prince's bed. He begs her to recover and repent her sins, saying he will forgive her. Servants bear him away as he orders that his wife be given an honorable burial.
CAPTAINS
One captain appears early after the defeat of the Christian town. Two captains attend Haly and agree that Melcosbus dotes too much on Despina and neglects his duty to his people. Two other captains attend Odmer when he comes to meet Haly. They are aghast to think Odmer will tell the king that he has grown neglectful of his kingdom in his dotage over Despina. Later, soldiers appear with the captains to plan their overthrow of the "lazy" king. They eavesdrop and overhear Malcosbus refuse Calibeus' plea for mercy, and afterwards they convince the old man to join their cause. When the king slays Dispina before his men, they agree she was worth all the king had said she was. One captain reports that the act has won the army back to the king. Haly sneaks into Melcosbus' private arbor in the dark with some of the captains to kill the king. Osmond kills them as they are wounding Melcosbus. Other captains accompany Odmer and Hosa to the scene of Melcosbus' death. They help convince Odmer not to commit suicide but rather to take the crown and rule the Tartars.
DESPINA
A fair Christian slave. Two soldiers capture her in battle and rather than have them fight for her, she promises to serve both faithfully. She is shocked, however, to learn that they mean to lie with her. Osmond saves her and gives her as a gift to Melcosbus. She has fallen in love with Osmond, however, and begs him to become Christian for her sake. Melcosbus offers her all power, but she wants only her liberty. He goes to her and almost rapes her, but she talks him into trying to win her love rather than making a base conquest of her. She sends Osmond a letter begging him to become Christain, steal her away and marry her. She has the king pardon his Christian prisoners and makes him command Osmond to do what she asks of him. She asks him to fly with her, but his loyalty to Melcosbus prevents him. She at last yields to Melcosbus. She calls Osmond to her and says she still loves him but that her affection has turned to sisterly affection. She claims now to love Melcosbus but tells Osmond that he may still command her as a sister. She goes with Melcosbus before Haly, Odmer, the captains and soldiers where Melcosbus suddenly murders her to demonstrate he is still the warrior he was.
EUNUCHS
Haly suggests to the king that his eunuchs be employed to teach Depina how to serve the king. The eunuch summons Osmond for Despina. Another eunuch is sent from Calibeus pretending to be from Ozaca to warn Orcanes not to walk before her window lest Calibeus see him.
FATHER, DESPINA'S
A "ghost character." His heart was pierced in the battle.
HALY
An aspiring traitor. He advises the king to put Despina in the care of eunuchs who will teach her to serve the king. By seeming virtuous he has corrupted many in the army. He convinces two captains that Melcosbus dotes too much on Despina and neglects his duty to his people. He conspires with them to overthrow Melcosbus and make him king. He most fears Odmer's faithfulness to the king. He tricks Odmer into telling the king that he has grown neglectful of his kingdom in his dotage over Despina. When the king slays Dispina before his men, Haly is shocked and fears his plans for the throne have been vanquished. He sneaks into Melcosbus' private arbor in the dark with the captains to kill the king. Osmond discovers him and kills him and the captains as they are wounding the king.
HOSA
Servant to Orcanes. He sets a garden house on fire to allow Orcanes access to Ozaca. He warns Orcanes to beware of Calibeus' jealousy even after the king refuses to punish Orcanes for the 'rape.' He is first to beg Odmer not to commit suicide when they find Melcosbus dead. He tells Odmer that without him the Tartars will cease to be a people for there would be none to rule them.
MELCOSBUS
Emperor of Tartary. He has taken the Christian city where the greedy Christians preferred to fight and die rather than give up their wealth to succor the poor and starving. He intends to make all Asia the subject of his victories. He is pleased to take Despina as a gift from Osmond. In his love of Despina he offers her all power, but she wants only her liberty. He goes to her and almost rapes her, but she talks him into trying to win her love rather than making a base conquest of her. He grants her requests to free his Christian prisoner and order Osmond to do what she asks of him. When Despina finally yields to Melcosbus, he is transported with joy and offers Osmond to be partner with him in ruling the kingdom. Calibeus comes to him for justice over Orcanes' 'rape' of Ozaca, but Melcosbus refuses to punish the prince. Odmer comes to him and pleads with him to become his former self, having grown lax luxuriating with Dispina. Melcosbus is incensed at him but forgives him and swears to govern his passion. He determines to send a signal to his people by punishing Orcanes for the rape of Ozaca. He sentences his son to have his eyes put out. When the prince admits that Ozaca was a willing participant, Melcosbus believing it a lie has the prince taken out to be strangled to death. He then goes before Haly, Odmer, the captains and soldiers to prove he is himself. He shows them Dispina and wins their agreement that she is rare enough to make a man forget his most urgent business. To prove his warlike mettle, he murders her before them and orders her entombed but cannot look upon her body. Lost in grief, he prays to her for forgiveness in his private arbor where he says he will raise an altar to her. Haly and the captains fall on him and wound him but Osmond kills them and saves him. In his final moments, he explains why he had to kill Dispina and that she allowed it to save his majesty. She died a martyr, he claims, and will become a saint. In his dying breath he prophesies that, if lovers meet in Elysium, Osmonds virtues will win Dispina in eternity.
MERCHANT, CHRISTIAN
A "ghost character." Dispina has Melcosbus free the merchant and his ship with a view towards stealing onto it in disguise with Osmond and so escape to be married.
MESSENGER
Several messengers bring news of various characters' arrivals.
MUTES
Tongueless men. They come for Orcanes when Melcosbus passes sentence upon him for 'raping' Ozaca. They put out one of Orcanes' eyes before the prince tells his father that Ozaca was a willing sex partner. The king, disbelieving his son, orders the mutes to take the boy away and strangle him to death.
NEGRO
A "ghost character." Calibeus tells Orcanes that his garden was planted by a Negro, a skillful gardener. This may be a falsehood to cover the fact that he's just wished in an aside that his beautiful wife had been born a Negro and Orcanes asked him what he said about a Negro.
ODMER
Faithful to the Emperor. Haly tricks him into agreeing to tell the king that he has grown neglectful of his kingdom in his dotage over Despina. Odmer goes to the king and pleads with him to become his former self. Melcosbus is incensed at him but forgives him and swears to govern his passion. When the king slays Dispina before his men, Odmer sees it as an act of uncompromising valor. He suspects Haly and the captains, however, of hatching a treasonous plot against Melcosbus. He comes upon the scene of Melcosbus' death along with captains and Hosa. He at first thinks Osmond was of the traitorous conspiracy but quickly dismisses the idea, for Osmond was ever virtuous. Osmond's posture in death, kissing the king's feet, convinces him that Osmond died nobly. He, too, wishes to commit suicide but Hosa and the captains convince him to live and rule the Tartars. He agrees, but only until Melcosbus' younger son comes of age to take the crown himself. He ends the play professing that he will raise a great tomb to Melcosbus and the noble Osmond.
ORCANES
Son to Melcosbus. He is immediately struck with the beauty of his host's wife, Ozaca. He plans to find a way to Ozaca when he finds a letter he thinks is from her but is actually a trap set by Calibeus. He pantomimes his love to the figure in the window not realizing it is Calibeus in disguise. He has Hosa set Calibeus' garden house on fire to allow himself access to Ozaca. When Calibeus discovers Orcanes and Ozaca together, they conspire to make him believe that she was raped, and the ruse succeeds. He falls in love with Ozaca and, after Melcosbus refuses to punish him for the 'rape,' sees his way clear to visit her when he likes. Melcosbus calls him to judgment for the 'rape' and because he sinned by looking upon another man's wife, he is sentenced to have his eyes pulled out so he will not be tempted more. After losing the first eye, Orcanes swears that Ozaca was a willing sex partner, but his father does not believe him. For attempting to murder Ozaca's reputation, Orcanes is taken away to be strangled to death.
OSMOND
The noble servant, a Tartar. He enters first with bloody sword having slain in the battle a number of avaricious Christians for his lord Melcosbus. He kills two soldiers to save Despina's honor and give her as a gift to Melcosbus. He admits his love to Despina but crushes it in duty to Melcosbus. He receives a letter from Despina begging him to become a Christian, steal her away, and marry her. He is torn between his passion for her and his duty to Melcosbus, but his loyalty to his king wins. Osmond refuses several gifts from his king including becoming Pasha of Aleppo and equal partner in the kingdom for having given Melcosbus the gift of Despina. He wants only to serve his king and prove himself as a soldier rather than a panderer. After giving herself to the king, Despina calls Osmond to her and says she still loves him but that her affection has turned to sisterly affection. Osmond is relieved by the news because his love for her will no longer tempt him. The king sends Osmond on a minor errand while he kills Dispina. Then he returns to find her body, the soldiers must convince him that it was indeed Melcosbus that slew her. He vows to avenge her murder. He sneaks into Melcosbus' private arbor in the dark to kill the king but sees Haly and the captains waiting in ambush and so hides himself to observe. He sees their plot and kills them for their desire to kill the king is treason while his own is justice. He would kill Melcosbus until the wounded king explains the noble reasons he had for killing Despina and that she is martyred and sainted for her sacrifice. Osmond understands and earns the dying king's blessing, who says that virtuous Osmond will be Despina's lover in Elysium. Osmond stabs himself, unable to live in a world without Melcosbus and Despina, but he says that in the afterlife he will again refuse Despina so the three of them may live forever bound in their mutual affection. He dies kissing his master's feet.
OZACA
Calibeus' young and beautiful wife. She is immediately struck with the handsome prince Orcanes. She sends word to Orcanes not to walk before her window lest her husband see. When Calibeus discovers Orcanes and Ozaca together, they conspire to make him believe that she was raped. Ozaca goes so far as to offer to kill herself for her dishonor, and the ruse succeeds. She uses the supposed rape to claim that she is unworthy for her husband's bed and so refuses to sleep with him ever again. After the king punishes Orcanes with death, Calibeus returns to Ozaca with the happy news. To his surprise, she stabs him and herself whilst confessing she went willingly to the prince's bed. She dies claiming vengeance for Orcanes and hoping to spend the afterlife with him.
PRISONERS, GREEK
One says that they are justly punished for their greed after Melcosbus vanquishes their city.
SERVANTS
Mute characters. They bear the injured Calibeus away after Ozaca stabs him.
SOLDIERS
The first soldier is a Janisarie, and he and a second fight over who shall own Despina whom they have captured in the battle. Osmond kills them to save Despina for Melcosbus. Later, other soldiers appear with the captains to plan their overthrow of the "lazy" king. They eavesdrop and overhear Malcosbus refuse Calibeus' plea for mercy, and afterwards they convince the old man to join their cause. When the king slays Dispina before his men, they agree she was worth all the king had said she was. When Osmond discovers Dispina's body, they have to convince him that it was Melcosbus that slew her.
SON, MELCOSBUS' YOUNGER
A "ghost character." He is also Orcanes' younger brother and remains unmentioned until the closing moments of the play. Odmer agrees to take the crown and rule the Tartars only until Melcosbus' younger son comes of age to take the throne and rule for himself.