An incarcerated man in Reading Gaol suffering under the Victorian penal system. He endures grueling hard labor and experiences deep psychological torment alongside his fellow inmates. As he watches a newly arrived condemned man, he reflects on the nature of guilt, observing that every person damages what they love.

A former trooper in the Royal Horse Guards who is sentenced to hang for murdering his wife. Instead of displaying fear or wringing his hands, he gazes wistfully at the sky and drinks in the sun. He appears remarkably resigned to his fate, accepting his guilt and his punishment without complaint.

The woman killed by the Condemned Man in her bed. Her death initiates the events that bring her husband to Reading Gaol. Her murder serves as the literal example of the narrator's recurring observation that people destroy what they hold dear.

The prison guards at Reading Gaol tasked with maintaining order and keeping the inmates in line. They wear pristine Sunday suits and shoes of felt, creeping past cell doors at night. They lack understanding of the deep emotional toll the prison takes on the incarcerated men.

A religious official at Reading Gaol who ministers to the prisoners. He visits twice a day to leave religious tracts, though his formal efforts offer little real comfort in the grim, isolated environment of the prison.

The administrator of Reading Gaol who enforces the strict rules of the facility. He insists upon strict adherence to the Regulations Act, ensuring that the harsh conditions of the Victorian penal system are maintained.

The medical official at Reading Gaol. He maintains a purely clinical view of mortality and the prisoners' suffering, coldly observing their physical deterioration and treating death simply as a scientific fact.

The executioner tasked with carrying out capital punishment at Reading Gaol. He represents the inescapable fate waiting for the Condemned Man, slipping through padded doors to perform his grim duty.