The Princess is a hot-blooded royal who shares her father's uncompromising authority and passionate nature. She uses her considerable influence and wealth to discover the secret of the arena's doors after her secret romance is exposed to the court. Torn between overwhelming affection and intense jealousy, she faces a difficult decision regarding her partner's fate. Her semi-barbaric blood makes her unpredictable and fierce.

The King is a semi-barbaric, authoritarian ruler of an unspecified kingdom who wields absolute power. He oscillates between progressive ideas and violent tendencies, refusing to take counsel from anyone but himself. He takes immense aesthetic pleasure in watching his subjects face public trials in his arena. He genuinely believes his arena is a perfectly fair system of justice.

The Lover is a young courtier of low station but unsurpassed beauty and bravery within the kingdom. He completely trusts his royal partner, relying on their shared soul and her quick perception to guide him in the arena. His potential past interactions with another maiden introduce doubt regarding his absolute fidelity. He bravely accepts his trial, looking only to the royal box for guidance.

The Narrator is an unnamed storyteller who relates the history of the kingdom before stepping into the text to address the audience directly. He uses exaggerated, grandiose prose to describe the kingdom's justice system, creating an ironic distance between his praise and the grim reality of the arena. As the trial concludes, his tone shifts to a more subdued, humble register.

The Lady is a beautiful maiden chosen to stand behind one of the arena's doors as a potential bride for the accused. She is the fairest subject in the kingdom, carefully selected to match the accused courtier's years and station. Her past glances at the young courtier make her a target of intense suspicion and dislike from the royal box.

The Tiger is a fierce, cruel beast procured specifically for the public arena. Standing behind one of the two identical doors, the animal serves as the brutal instrument of the King's punishment. It represents the violent, barbaric side of the kingdom's supposedly rational justice system.