Pampinea is the oldest of the seven young women in the group and acts as the leader of the brigata. In her late twenties, she organizes the escape to the countryside and establishes the storytelling rules. She maintains a calm and mature authority over the group, setting the tone for their isolated retreat.

Fiammetta is a beautiful and somewhat anxious member of the brigata. Despite her initially shy and passive exterior, she possesses a strong-willed personality that emerges when she is crowned queen for the fifth day. She sings a song that reveals a deep jealousy concerning her own romantic life.

Dioneo is the wittiest and most subversive member of the brigata. He secures the special privilege of telling the final story each day and is not always bound by the chosen daily themes. He tells lewd stories and refuses to adhere strictly to the social expectations of his peers.

Filostrato is a reserved and surly member of the group who nurses a lovelorn misery. When he serves as king, he demands stories with unhappy endings, reflecting his own pessimistic attitude toward romance. His sour mood often requires correction from the more cheerful members of the party.

Panfilo is one of the three young men who join the women on their countryside retreat. He acts as the final king on the tenth day, introducing a note of optimism to the group's storytelling before they plan their return to Florence.

Filomena is an optimistic young woman in the brigata. She serves as queen on the second day and prefers stories about misadventures that end happily, maintaining her hope for the future despite the plague ravaging their home city.

Emilia is a member of the brigata who holds reactionary and patriarchal views compared to her peers. She frequently reminds the women to respect the authority of men and tells stories that reinforce traditional power dynamics.

Lauretta is a strict and observant member of the storytelling group. She oversees the eighth day and ensures the group observes their religious duties by pausing their entertainment to respect holy days.

Neifile is another young woman in the brigata. She acts as queen on the third day and guides the group to a new garden setting, showing a sincere commitment to their religious observances while still participating enthusiastically in the storytelling.

Elissa is one of the young women who travel to the villa. She rules on the sixth day and quickly dismisses a dispute between working-class servants, demonstrating her strict adherence to upper-class authority and social boundaries.

Ciappelletto is a morally corrupt man who lies frequently and engages in disreputable behavior. When he falls ill away from home, he makes a completely fabricated confession to a venerable priest, manipulating the religious man's perception of him.

Musciatto is a merchant who needs someone to collect difficult debts from a group of Burgundians. He specifically selects Ciappelletto for his lack of scruples, knowing the job requires an aggressive approach.

Saladin is a Muslim leader and military commander. Having depleted his funds, he attempts to secure money from a wealthy Jewish moneylender by posing a difficult theological question designed to trap the man.

Melchizedek is a wise Jewish moneylender with considerable wealth. He uses a clever story about three identical rings to answer a dangerous question about religion, earning the respect of a powerful ruler.

Andreuccio is a young, naive horse seller carrying a large sum of gold florins. He carelessly flashes his wealth at the market, making himself a prime target for local tricksters in the unfamiliar city.

Madonna Fiordaliso is a young Neapolitan prostitute. She uses information gathered by an older friend to construct an elaborate deception, posing as a long-lost relative to steal from a wealthy visitor.

Alatiel is the beautiful daughter of the Sultan of Babylon. A violent storm wrecks her ship on the way to her political marriage, leaving her stranded in foreign lands where she cannot speak the language and is frequently exploited by men.

Beminedab is the Sultan of Babylon. He sends his daughter across the sea to North Africa to secure an alliance, unknowingly setting off her long series of misadventures in the Mediterranean.

Tancredi is the Prince of Salerno. He is deeply protective of his daughter but his anger is ignited when he discovers her secret involvement with a lower-class servant, leading him to plan severe punishments.

Ghismonda is the determined daughter of the Prince of Salerno. Frustrated by her father's refusal to let her remarry, she initiates a secret romance with a valet, using a hidden cave and a rope to facilitate their meetings.

Guiscardo is a young man of low birth who serves in the royal household. He engages in a dangerous, hidden romance with his employer's daughter, sneaking into her bedroom via a secret tunnel.

Federigo is a nobleman who spends his entire fortune throwing lavish parties and banquets to win the affections of a married woman. Impoverished by his efforts, he retreats to a small farm with his only remaining prize possession, a hunting falcon.

Monna Giovanna is an attractive, virtuous married woman. After her husband passes away, she moves to an estate near a poor farmer and seeks to acquire his prize falcon to comfort her sick son.

Calandrino is a Florentine painter known for his gullibility and foolishness. He is frequently the target of elaborate practical jokes played by his supposedly close friends, leading him into absurd situations like believing he has turned invisible.

Tessa is the unfortunate wife of a foolish Florentine painter. She often bears the brunt of her husband's misguided anger when his absurd schemes and beliefs inevitably fail.

Bruno is a painter who delights in playing elaborate practical jokes. He frequently exploits the gullibility of his friend to steal property or simply to embarrass him for entertainment.

Buffalmacco is a Florentine painter and chronic prankster. Alongside his associate Bruno, he constructs complicated deceptions to confuse and steal from their easily manipulated peer.

Griselda is a woman from a very low social standing who is chosen by the Marquis of Saluzzo to be his wife. She is remarkably patient and obedient, quietly enduring severe psychological tests designed by her husband to measure her loyalty.

Gualtieri is the Marquis of Saluzzo. Pressured by his subjects to marry, he selects a poor woman and then subjects her to years of cruel, calculated tests to ensure her absolute obedience and patience.