Astrophil is a poet and courtier desperately in love with Stella. He suffers from writer's block and attempts to study other poets' works to find the right words to express his pain. Feeling pregnant with unexpressed ideas, he bites his pen and beats himself out of frustration before finally receiving guidance on how to create original art.

Stella is the idealized object of Astrophil's affection, modeled after Penelope Devereux. She holds a position of power over him, possessing the ability to read his work, understand his pain, and potentially grant him the grace he seeks. She is elevated as a nearly divine figure in the courtly love tradition.

The Muse serves as Astrophil's ultimate creative guide and coauthor. When he is biting his pen and beating himself in anger, she intervenes with direct, blunt advice. She instructs him to abandon his over-analytical reading and instead look directly into his own heart for poetic inspiration.

Personified as a cruel stepmother, Study represents the academic analysis of other poets' works. While Astrophil initially relies on her to find inspiration, she proves to be a restrictive and punishing force that drives true creativity away with her physical blows.

Personified as a child, Invention represents original creativity and imagination. As the biological child of Nature, Invention requires freedom and spontaneity to thrive. This child actively runs away from the punishing, rigid constraints of academic study.

Personified as a mother figure, Nature represents the organic, spontaneous source of creativity. She stands in direct opposition to the rigid, academic environment of studying, fostering a free and unforced environment where original ideas can be born.