Edward Overton
Overton is the narrator of the novel. He is Ernest's godfather. At first he is a traditional third person narrator, but as the book progresses the narration takes on his own perspectives on the other characters and events. He is essentially the mouthpiece for the author and narrates Butler's own opinions and judgements.
Theobald Pontifex
Theobald is Ernest's father. He is a clergyman because his father in law made him become one and therefore has no particular calling despite his profession. He is a cold parent and seems to delight in annoying his son. Butler's most biting satire is reserved for him; he seems to be based on a character in real life who has caused Butler's ire in some way. He is also an example of the hypocrisy that Butler is railing against as although he is a bully to his own family he presents an outward image of being a pious and generous man of the cloth.
Christina Pontifex
Christina is Ernest's mother. She is a comfort to her son but also makes him extremely anxious. She is a daydreamer who lives in cloud cuckoo land especially when it comes to Theobald. Ernest is her favorite child, but she inevitably loses his trust when she fails to protect him from his father.
Alethea Pontifex
Alethea is Ernest's aunt, but he feels a connection to her that is more like a mother and son connection. She is the mother figure he wishes his own mother could be. Every pleasant experience of his youth is as a result of her kindness. She also enables him to live an independent and secure adult life thanks to the bequest she leaves him.
Ernest Pontifex
Ernest is the main character in the book, although he does not appear in it until part of the way through. This is deliberate and Butler intended this to show how important those who went before him were in the formation of Ernest's character and situation in life. He is socially awkward and something of a late bloomer thanks to his overbearing and bullying parents. He is basically a decent person but is a victim of events and actions caused by a mother and father who teach him values that are the opposite of his essential goodness. Once he is more independent he is able to forge his own path and emerges positively from a bad upbringing.
Mrs Jupp
Mrs Jupp is the comic relief in the novel. She is the archetypal Mrs Malaprop and gets words and sayings hilariously wrong. She is Ernest's landlady and believes that he is deluded in his belief that he can bring a new spirituality to the lower classes.
Towneley
Towneley is a generic type of person rather than a developed character but is included in the novel as a contrast to Ernest. Towneley skates through life with ease, falling on his feet at every turn, unlike Ernest, who when handed lemons chokes on them, rather than making lemonade.
Ellen
Ellen is the woman whom Ernest marries, which is surprising in that she is very pretty and quite sharp. She is a capable domestic housemaid who turns out to be an alcoholic. She is also a bigamist.
Holt
Holt and his wife also live at Mrs Jupp's and he is extremely abusive to his wife. Ernest initially wants to convert him but realizes quite quickly that he is not a good candidate for his evangelism.
John, a Coachman
John is Ellen's first (and still current) husband and releases Ernest from his marriage by admitting so.
Hawke
Mr Hawke is an evangelist who is so charismatic that he inspires Ernest to follow the same path.
Miss Maitland
Because she lives at Mrs Jupp's, Ernest assumes Miss Maitland to be a woman of easy virtue. He is wrong, and his advances result in her having him arrested for assault.
