Oliver Cromwell is a ferocious military commander acting on behalf of the English republic. Initially living a reserved life cultivating bergamot in his private gardens, he transforms into a martial force driven by perceived destiny. He leads a violent and sweeping conquest across England, Scotland, and Ireland, claiming his authority through sheer physical strength rather than traditional rights. He presents himself as an obedient servant to the Parliament, laying his spoils at the public's feet.

King Charles I is the deposed monarch of England facing execution by the Parliamentarian army. He embodies the ancient rights and traditional justice of the monarchy that the new republican forces seek to dismantle. On the execution scaffold, he maintains a dignified physical composure and refuses to panic. He treats his final moments like a part in a play, bowing his head without calling upon the gods with vulgar anger.

The narrator of the ode observes the massive political shifts occurring across the nation. While ostensibly composing a celebration of the new republican leader's victories, the speaker harbors anxieties about the violent foundation of this new rule. The speaker communicates a careful perspective that balances outward public praise for the military with quiet sympathy for the executed monarch.