Helena
One of Shakespeare’s artfully delineated “strong women” is the daughter of Gerard de Narbon, a renowned physician. When the King falls under the spell of what has been determined an incurable illness, Helena devises the plan to use a prescription left behind by her father to prove the King’s condition is not fatal. Of course, her primary motive is to follow her beloved Bertram who has left her behind to attend the court upon the news of his majesty’s illness. Much of the romantic tension driving the plot stems from the fact that while nearly everyone else is won over by her winning ways, Bertram remains an illogical holdout.
Bertram
Bertram is the Countess's son and the object of Helena's affection. Helena may be strong, determined, and charismatic, but she is also a commoner who can offer the ambitious courtier little opportunity for advancements in wealth or status. Further adding to Bertram’s questionable role is that in addition to being the last to recognize the noble nature of Helena beneath her commoner status, he is the last to recognize that his best friend Parolles is a disloyal liar. Bertram is usually recognized as being one of Shakespeare’s comedic leads with the greatest of shortcomings but typically wins redemption on the basis of his wholesale repentance by the play’s end.
Countess Rousillon
The Countess is Bertram's mother, who inexplicably has not passed down to her son the ability to recognize strong moral character despite one's social class (scholars have often noted the difference in the Countess and Bertram as one of the play's major lapses). Nonetheless, the Countess remains supportive of her son throughout the play. Adding to the quality of mercy exhibited by the Countess toward her son is that she happens to be almost as loyal to Helena and works in tandem with the younger woman to solidify their marriage.
Parolles
One aspect of the play that often receives the most criticism is its notable lack of a fully realized antagonist. The closest it gets is the cowardly braggart of a soldier Parolles and while he is certainly repulsive, he lacks the strength of character or the depth of wit to become even a memorable second-tier villain. Nevertheless, due to comparisons to Sir John Falstaff (a fan favorite character from Shakespeare's Henriad), he once stood out so strongly that judicious editing placed his subplot into the foreground and denied Helena her proper place as the play’s genuine protagonist.
The King of France
The King is old and frail and thought to be doomed to death as a result of an incurable illness. When Helena arrives with her father's prescription that actually does save his life, he proves himself kind and wise as well by recognizing her as the equal of any man in the kingdom and rewarding her for those attributes with her own choice of a husband.
Lafeu
Counselor to the King and close friend to the Countess, Lord Lafeu steps in to try to save face for Bertram in the wake of his unmannered rejection of the King’s new favorite young lady, Helena. More out of friendship with Bertram’s mother than out of any designs of his own, Lafeu tries to arrange a marriage between his own daughter and Bertram as a means of lessening the King’s outrage toward the young man.
The Brothers Dumaine
The Brothers Dumaine are soldiers who try with all their might to convince Bertram of the true nature of Parolles. This comic subplot involving the kidnapping of Parolles and the braggart’s mock-heroic mission to recapture a regimental drum is the one so preferred by many early audiences that it became the central focus of the edited-down version routinely mounted for production.
Diana Capilet
She is the pretty daughter of a widow who gains a wealthy husband of her own by possessing virtue and piety. She recognizes Helena as a fellow virtuous woman and decides to help her. Her decision to assist Helena in winning Bertram is eventually the cause of another manifestation of the King’s wise and good-hearted nature as she is rewarded for her actions.
The Widow
The Widow is Diana's mother. She is strong and savvy despite her questionable moral compass. The Widow – who is never given a proper name in the play – assists Diana and Helena in their plot to trick Bertram into having sex with Helena. The Widow is an innkeeper, and the play suggests multiple times throughout that her role is akin to that of a brothel madam.
Lavatch
Lavatch is the Countess's clown, or fool, meaning that he has a license to say whatever is on his mind for the purpose of entertainment. Typically, the fool in Shakespeare's plays is ironically as wise as he is honest, but many point out that Lavatch does not necessarily fit this description. He is cynical and lascivious, offering few instructive remarks throughout the play and even fewer moments of levity.
