Maurice Hall
Maurice Hall is a young, healthy, and handsome lad. Despite all of this he is pretty indifferent. He studies first at Sunnington and then later on at Cambridge. His education then lands him a successful job as a London stockbroker. He begins his sexual revelation in a state of uneasiness and confusion, starting with his platonic relationship with Clive. This then escalates to him accepting his homosexuality.
Clive Durham
Clive Durham is a student at Cambridge with Maurice and he ends up becoming a politician. He is quite attractive and sparks Maurice's interest sexually. It is Clive that insists that their relationship is platonic and they spend three years together. Instead of accepting his homosexuality, he rejects it, ends his relationship with Maurice, and moves on to court a woman.
Alec Scudder
Alec Scudder works on the Durham estate as the gamekeeper there. He attracts the attention of Maurice but due to their class difference, neither of them acts upon anything. One night, when Maurice shouts at something in misery, Alec hears him and comes to his room. They end up sleeping together that night. When Maurice is returned to London, Alec keeps sending him letters asking him to talk to him. Eventually, they meet up in London at the British Museum. In the end, Alec plans to emigrate to Argentina for a job there but chooses to stay in England with Maurice.
