The narrator of the litany is an individual suffering from the bubonic plague and facing an imminent, unavoidable demise. Overwhelmed by the swift nature of the disease, the speaker reflects on the temporality of human existence, wealth, beauty, and strength. They ultimately turn toward their faith, repeatedly crying out for divine mercy as they prepare to leave the earthly stage.

Death acts as the looming, personified force of mortality that the speaker regards as Hell's executioner. Characterized as an unstoppable adversary, Death shoots deadly darts at humanity and remains completely deaf to all worldly pleas, wealth, or human wit. The entity serves as an absolute equalizer who claims the rich, the beautiful, and the strong without prejudice.

God is the divine authority to whom the speaker constantly directs their litany and prayers for mercy. In the context of the plague, sickness is viewed as a divine judgment upon a sinful world, placing the ultimate fate of the infected entirely in divine hands. The speaker looks toward this figure for eventual salvation beyond the earthly stage.

Helen is the mythological Queen of Sparta, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the world. The speaker references her as the ultimate example of how even supreme beauty and youth are fleeting, eventually consumed by age and the grave. Her infatuation and subsequent move to Troy initiate a devastating ten-year war.

Hector is the chief prince and strongest warrior of the ancient city of Troy. The speaker invokes him as a symbol of peak physical prowess, demonstrating that even the bravest fighters cannot battle against fate. Despite his military might, he is powerless to stop death and succumbs to mortality like anyone else.

Paris is a Trojan prince whose intense attraction to Helen initiates a massive ten-year conflict between Troy and the Greek forces. His desire for the Spartan queen brings about his own destruction, as well as the eventual ruin of his entire city and family.

Menelaus reigns as the King of Sparta alongside his wife, Helen. When his wife is taken away to Troy by a foreign prince, he becomes deeply embittered and initiates a decade-long war to reclaim her and exact revenge on the city.

Achilles is the most formidable warrior fighting for the Greek alliance during the Trojan War. He acts as an unstoppable force on the battlefield, ultimately striking down Troy's greatest champion and dragging his corpse behind a chariot.