Arnolphe
Arnolphe is the main character and protagonist of the play, and he is middle-aged - around 42 years old. Supporting the young girl, Agnes, he feels much sympathy for her and is overall a nice person. However, Horace moves into the house that Agnes is in, and the two fall greatly in love. Arnolphe, because he goes by two names, is thought to be two different people. Therefore, with his sneaky character, he plots to steal back Agnes and not allow Horace to marry her.
Agnes
Agnes is a young girl that is pretty much alone in life - except for Arnolphe. When Horace moves in, she soon begins to forget about Arnolphe, and falls in love with him instead. A rebellious youth, she continues to see Horace against the requests of the jealous Arnolphe, making for a conflicting plot line. Eventually, Arnolphe forbids her from seeing Horace ever again, and she is stricken with grief.
Horace
Horace is the antagonist of the play in the view of Arnolphe, but in reality is not that bad of a person. Only made out to be evil because Arnolphe is jealous of him, Horace moves in with the young Agnes. The two fall desperately in love to the jealousy of Arnolphe, and eventually struggles begin to form between Horace and said jealous character. Unfortunately, by the end of the play, Arnolphe bans Horace from seeing Agnes at all anymore, and both Horace and his lover are in grief.
Chrysalde
A friend of Arnolphe who warns him that his actions will have bad consequences if he doesn't criticize his motives more. In the end it turns out that she was speaking from real knowledge, because she's Agnès's aunt.
Oronte
Another friend who brings his son Horace to Arnolphe's house, apparently to visit Arnolphe himself, but later, it is implied that this visit is to introduce Horace to Agnès because the parents are arranging a marriage for the young couple, right under Arnolphe's nose.
Enrique
The real father arrives to Arnolphe's property and at first, when he and Oronte explain to Arnolphe that Horace is engaged to Enrique's daughter, he is pleased because he thinks he will now have Agnes all to himself. But he quickly realizes that Enrique is Agnes's own father.
