Michael Henchard is a former hay-trusser who makes a terrible, drunken mistake in his youth by auctioning off his family. Eighteen years later, having sworn a strict oath of sobriety, he is the wealthy, powerful Mayor of Casterbridge and a highly successful grain merchant. He relies on his reputation as a hard but fair businessman to maintain his status, constantly fearing that the scandalous secrets of his past will ruin him.

Elizabeth-Jane is a modest, observant young woman who arrives in Casterbridge seeking financial stability. Raised in relative poverty as a sailor's daughter, she actively seeks to improve herself through independent study and careful behavior. She values respectability and tries constantly to adjust to the shifting social classes around her.

Donald Farfrae is a young, charismatic Scottish agricultural scientist traveling through England on his way to America. He introduces modern, efficient farming methods that revolutionize the local grain trade, saving Casterbridge from a bad harvest. His amiable personality quickly makes him a favorite among the townspeople.

Lucetta is a young woman originally from Jersey who previously nursed an ailing man back to health, resulting in a scandalous connection. Having recently acquired an inheritance from her aunt, she moves into a luxurious Casterbridge home under a new name to establish herself in polite society. She is fashion-conscious and hopes to secure a stable, respectable future.

Susan is a determined, serious woman who faces significant hardship after her husband auctions her away at a country fair. Believing her subsequent arrangement with a sailor to be morally legitimate, she lives quietly for years. Following the presumed loss of the sailor at sea, she returns to seek a better life for her daughter.

Richard Newson is a sailor passing through the country fair who steps in to purchase a wife and child from an abusive, drunken man. He provides for his new family for nearly two decades, moving them to Canada and back to England while working in the maritime trade before eventually being lost at sea.

Joshua Jopp answers an advertisement for a corn manager position in Casterbridge. When the mayor impulsively hires a Scottish stranger instead, Jopp is unceremoniously dismissed and sent away. He carries a bitter grudge over this sudden rejection.

Abel Whittle is an impoverished worker employed in the Casterbridge grain business. He struggles with chronic lateness, which draws the furious ire of his employer. He occupies a low social station and relies heavily on steady wages to support his elderly mother.

The Furmity Woman is an older vendor who sells a traditional porridge-like dish at country fairs. She is willing to secretly lace her customers' bowls with rum for an extra fee, a practice that directly facilitates the inciting incident of the story.