Elyot is a slim, thirty-something man with a biting wit and a cynical attitude toward romance. Recently married to Sibyl, he projects an irreverent, sophisticated exterior to mask his volatile passions. He uses flippancy to deflect serious emotions, often clashing with those who expect conventional sincerity from him.

Exquisite and strong-willed, Amanda is a worldly free spirit who openly questions the moral expectations placed upon women of her class. Though newly married, she remains restless and struggles to adapt to her husband's rigid ideas of normal behavior. She refuses to apologize for her past or suppress her own desires.

Twenty-three-year-old Sibyl is pretty, smartly dressed, and thoroughly enchanted with the concept of marriage. She embodies traditional femininity, cheerfully offering to act as a decorative companion for her husband. Underneath her giddy optimism, she harbors deep insecurity regarding Elyot's past.

In his early thirties, Victor is a stodgily upright and conventional man who prides himself on his protective, masculine demeanor. He highly values upper-class decorum and acts as a voice of self-righteousness. His earnest desire for order makes him highly intolerant of eccentricity or public scandal.

Louise is a French housekeeper who tends to Amanda's domestic needs. She maintains the elegant surroundings of the apartment and inadvertently witnesses the chaotic private lives of her employers.