Hedda is the aristocratic daughter of a general who has recently returned from a six-month honeymoon with her new husband. Accustomed to wealth and high social status, she feels profoundly out of place in her current domestic reality at the Falk villa. She harbors a deep desire for control over her own life and the destinies of others. She resents the expectations placed upon 19th-century married women. Bored and frustrated by her circumstances, she frequently amuses herself by firing her father's pistols.

Jørgen is an earnest, aspiring academic specializing in domestic crafts in fourteenth-century Brabant. He eagerly anticipates a professorship that will allow him to finance the luxurious lifestyle his new wife expects. Raised by his two aunts, he possesses an optimistic disposition and totally misses his wife's obvious dissatisfaction with their domestic arrangement. He goes deep into debt to purchase the Falk villa, mistakenly believing it is Hedda's dream home.

Mrs. Elvsted is a nervous, shy woman trapped in an unhappy marriage to a much older man. Having worked as a governess before marrying her employer, she finds intellectual and emotional fulfillment through assisting Ejlert with his writing. She acts boldly by leaving her husband to follow Ejlert to town, and she displays a willingness to break social conventions that others fear.

Ejlert is a brilliant but disgraced academic who lost his previous position due to a severe alcohol addiction. Following a long absence, he returns to town with a successful new book and a groundbreaking manuscript in progress. He battles intense inner demons and relies heavily on Mrs. Elvsted's stabilizing influence to maintain his sobriety and focus on his work.

Judge Brack is a powerful, unmarried man who arranged the purchase of the Falk villa for the newlyweds. He operates comfortably outside strict societal constraints and enjoys establishing triangular arrangements where he acts as the trusted confidant of a married couple. He uses his influence and knowledge of social propriety to leverage power over those around him.

Miss Juliane is Jørgen's devoted aunt who, along with her bedridden sister Rina, raised him from childhood. She mortgaged her own annuities to help furnish the newlyweds' home and continually fusses over her nephew's comfort and success. She derives immense purpose from caring for others and eagerly anticipates the arrival of children in the Tesman household.

Berthe is a maid who previously served the Tesman aunts for years. She has recently transferred to the Falk villa to work for the newlyweds. She feels deeply intimidated by her new mistress and worries constantly about making mistakes in her household duties.

Aunt Rina is Jørgen Tesman's invalid aunt. She requires constant care, which her sister Juliane willingly provides. Despite her severe illness, she embroiders slippers for her beloved nephew, which demonstrates her ongoing affection for the boy she helped raise.