Lucrece is the exceptionally loyal wife of Collantine. Her physical beauty and moral virtue, frequently described using celestial objects and red-and-white floral imagery, make her the subject of her husband's proud boasting at his military camp. She is highly hospitable and dutiful, greeting her husband's comrade with grace and remaining entirely unaware of the danger his arrival brings to her household.

Sextus Tarquinius, known as Tarquin, is a Roman prince and the son of the king. Despite being a military man bound by codes of knighthood and camaraderie, he becomes fixated on Lucrece after hearing of her chastity. He engages in intense, agonizing internal debates in his bedroom, struggling between maintaining his noble reputation and giving in to an overpowering, destructive lust that he blames on her beauty.

Collantine is a Roman military man and the proud husband of Lucrece. He views his wife's loyalty as a great treasure and a point of immense personal honor. His public bragging inadvertently sparks Tarquin's dark interest, setting a chain of tragic events into motion that threatens the stability of his household and his social standing.

Lucretius is Lucrece's father and an older Roman citizen. He represents the familial lineage and patriarchal structures of Roman society, carrying a deep emotional connection to his daughter's physical and spiritual well-being.

Junius Brutus is a Roman citizen and military associate of Collantine and Lucretius. He operates under a clever disguise, initially hiding his true intellect by pretending to be a fool who utters sportive, nonsensical things to protect himself in a dangerous political environment.

A domestic servant in Collantine's household. She possesses a highly empathetic nature, crying alongside her mistress simply because she sees her weeping, without pressing for the specifics of her trauma.

A sour-faced groom who works for Lucrece's household. He is tasked with the critical duty of delivering a vague but urgent letter from his mistress to her husband at the military encampment.