The first-person voice of the poem is closely identified with the poet John Milton himself. He is an impassioned observer who demands divine retribution for the slaughtered innocent community in the Piedmont valley. As the poem progresses, his tone shifts from visceral rage over the massacre to a prophetic reflection on the endurance of true religious faith.

The divine authority addressed by The Speaker. He is called upon as an absolutist judge who keeps a book recording the deeds of humanity. In the context of the poem, he acts as the ultimate shepherd to his devoted followers, promising eventual justice on Judgement Day.

A peaceful proto-Protestant community living at the foot of the Italian Alps. Excommunicated by the Catholic Church, they practice an austere form of Christianity free from priestly mediation. They are brutally murdered by soldiers, yet their spilled blood serves metaphorically to seed future generations of believers.

The Catholic ruler who forces the Waldensians to leave the plains of the Piedmont valley. When they retreat into the mountains, he commands the Piemontese soldiers to corner and execute the community. His orders spark the outrage that fuels the poem's call for divine retribution.

A symbolic representation of the Catholic Pope, identifiable by his traditional three-cornered mitre. He embodies the overarching power of the Holy Roman Empire, acting as the ultimate institutional force against the independent faith of the Waldensians.

The Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England following the execution of King Charles I. He organizes the political response to the Piedmont massacre and favors establishing an armed Protestant front against the Catholic Church.

A French philosopher and reformer who translates the Latin Bible into French to make it accessible to everyday people. He preaches a strict faith without formal clerical training and advocates an end to the veneration of saints.