The highwayman is a dashing bandit who operates on the moors under the cover of darkness. He maintains an elegant appearance, wearing a French cocked-hat, a coat of claret velvet, and brown doe-skin breeches. Despite his profession as an outlaw who steals gold, he behaves with gentlemanly courtesy toward the woman he loves, promising to return to her after his night's work.

Bess is the black-eyed, red-lipped daughter of the local innkeeper. She harbors a forbidden romance with a wanted thief, maintaining a secret communication system to safely welcome him to the inn. She is fiercely devoted to her outlaw partner, finding ways to express her passion while remaining constrained within her physical surroundings.

Tim works in the inn's stables tending to the horses. He possesses a pale, peaked face, hollow eyes, and hair resembling moldy hay. Driven by an intense, unrequited love for the innkeeper's daughter, he secretly watches her interact with her outlaw suitor, harboring a dangerous resentment toward his glamorous rival.

The landlord owns the locked and barred inn on the moors where the highwayman arrives. He represents the ordinary, lawful village life from which his daughter secretly deviates. His business serves as the central location for both illicit nighttime meetings and official military business.