Hop-Frog is a little person who was forcibly taken from his homeland to serve as a jester in a foreign court. Though his leg disability causes him physical pain and limits his walking, he possesses immense upper body strength, climbing agility, and sharp intelligence. He endures constant humiliation and cruel jokes from his captors while quietly harboring a deep resentment. He also struggles with a severe physical sensitivity to wine, which the ruler actively uses to torment him.

The unnamed monarch rules his land with absolute authority and views his power as a divine right. He is a physically imposing man whose primary joy comes from elaborate, mean-spirited practical jokes. He views his captives not as human beings but as amusing animals that exist purely for his entertainment. He uses his unchecked power to abuse those beneath him, taking particular pleasure in the distress caused by forcing his jester to drink alcohol.

Trippetta is a little person who was stolen from the same region as her friend Hop-Frog. Her exceptional grace and physical beauty afford her a degree of popularity and influence within the royal court. Despite this superficial standing, she remains a captive without true autonomy, forced to submit to the monarch's demands. She utilizes her limited influence to advocate for her friend, putting herself at risk of severe physical retaliation.

The monarch's council consists of seven men who closely resemble their ruler in physical size and cruel temperament. They act as a collective unit, unquestioningly supporting the monarch's decisions and participating in his abusive humor. They lack individual identities within the narrative, functioning instead as a unified extension of the oppressive court culture.

The unnamed narrator recounts the events of the royal court from a third-person limited perspective. Residing in the same kingdom where the story occurs, the narrator holds prejudices common to the setting, referring to the captives' home as a barbarous region. Despite this societal bias, the narrator demonstrates a clear distaste for tyrannical behavior and expresses sympathy for the jester's suffering.