Kate is the beautiful daughter of the Hardcastle family who has recently spent time in London. She enjoys modern fashions but maintains a practical bargain with her traditional father, agreeing to wear plain, old-fashioned dresses in the evening. She anticipates the arrival of an arranged suitor but worries about his reputation for extreme shyness around high-society women.

Charles is the educated son of a wealthy aristocrat, traveling to the country to meet his prospective bride. He suffers from a debilitating social anxiety that prevents him from speaking normally to women of his own upper-class standing. Conversely, he is highly confident and flirtatious around working-class women. This duality heavily influences his interactions when he arrives at what he incorrectly believes is a local public inn.

Constance is an orphaned young woman residing at the Hardcastle estate under the guardianship of her aunt and uncle. She stands to inherit a valuable fortune in family jewels, which her aunt currently controls. Pragmatic and secretive, she fakes a romantic interest in her cousin Tony to placate her aunt while actually maintaining a hidden courtship with George Hastings.

Tony is Mrs. Hardcastle's son from a previous marriage, known for his mischievous and spoiled nature. He prefers drinking and singing at the local tavern over receiving an education or behaving like a proper gentleman. Resenting his stepfather's strictness and his mother's attempts to marry him off to Constance, he actively sabotages the household by giving false directions to incoming guests.

Mr. Hardcastle is the patriarch of the family and a traditional English country gentleman. He loves old books, old wine, and old-fashioned manners, frequently expressing distaste for modern urban fashion. He prepares his home for the arrival of his old friend's son, fully expecting the visit to result in a proper, respectable marriage arrangement for his daughter.

Mrs. Hardcastle is a fashion-obsessed woman who desperately wishes she could experience the high society of London. She coddles her son Tony, insisting he is too sickly for formal schooling, and aggressively attempts to force a marriage between him and Constance. Her primary motivation is keeping Constance's inheritance of jewels strictly within the immediate family.

George Hastings is a gentleman traveling into the country alongside his close friend Marlow. He uses the arranged visit as an opportunity to reunite with Constance Neville, hoping to eventually elope with her to France. When the travelers fall victim to a geographical prank, he quickly adapts to the absurd situation to protect his own romantic plans.

Sir Charles is an older aristocrat who has arranged for his son to visit the Hardcastle estate. He maintains a long-standing friendship with Mr. Hardcastle and expects the upcoming marriage negotiations to go smoothly. He firmly believes his son possesses a modest, submissive disposition around women.

The landlord operates The Three Pigeons, the local tavern where Tony Lumpkin spends his evenings. He cheerfully corroborates Tony's lies when the wealthy travelers arrive looking for directions, helping set the central misunderstanding in motion.