Philip is a 24-year-old lawyer from the English suburb of Sawston who cultivates an aesthetic, detached persona. He views life as a spectacle to be observed from a safe distance and uses humor as a defense mechanism against emotional engagement. He harbors a deep, romanticized appreciation for Italian culture, which makes him resentful when his provincial sister-in-law threatens his idealized vision of the country.

Caroline is a grave, respectable young English woman devoted to charity work in Sawston. Although she outwardly appears to be the perfect embodiment of Edwardian etiquette and an ideal chaperone, she harbors a latent discontent with the petty unselfishness of her provincial life. Her journey to Italy exposes her conflicting desires for conventional propriety and emotional authenticity.

Gino is a handsome, 21-year-old Italian man from the provincial town of Monteriano. As the son of a local dentist with no title or significant wealth, he represents everything the Herriton family despises. He lives according to traditional patriarchal values and instinctual emotion, operating far outside the polite boundaries of English society.

Lilia is a lively, impulsive widow whose behavior constantly embarrasses her strict in-laws. Having spent years under the oppressive, refining influence of the Herriton family following her first husband's death, she travels to Italy seeking freedom. Her enthusiastic nature lacks self-awareness, and she often misunderstands the distinct cultural customs of her new environment.

Mrs. Herriton is the formidable matriarch of the Sawston family, driven entirely by a cold devotion to social propriety and reputation. She operates as a master strategist, skillfully manipulating her children and surroundings to maintain control over the family's image. She views Lilia's independence as a direct threat to the Herriton name.

Harriet is Philip's sister and the rigid embodiment of English social ethics. She possesses an unshakable moral certainty and extreme patriotism that leave absolutely no room for cultural understanding or empathy. Her blunt, peevish conviction makes her openly disdainful of anything foreign or unconventional.

Irma is Lilia's young daughter from her first marriage to Charles Herriton. She is kept in the provincial town of Sawston to be raised under the strict supervision of her grandmother. She serves as a living tie between Lilia and the oppressive English family she seeks to escape.

Mrs. Theobald is Lilia's mother, who resides in England and periodically communicates with the Herriton family. She inadvertently sets the primary conflict into motion by forwarding the news of her daughter's sudden romantic engagement abroad.

Charles is the late son of Mrs. Herriton and the former husband of Lilia. Though he died prior to the events of the narrative, his lingering presence dictates the strict, mournful behavior his family expects his widow to uphold.

Mr. Kingcroft is a former suitor of Lilia whose attentions caused a minor scandal in Sawston. He represents one of Lilia's previous, unsuccessful attempts to find companionship outside the strict boundaries of her in-laws' approval.

Perfetta is Gino's widowed cousin who lives in Monteriano. She is brought into his household to serve as a companion and maintain domestic order, and she reinforces the traditional Italian social customs that strictly govern women's behavior.

Spiridione is an Italian customs officer and an old friend of Gino's in Monteriano. He reinforces the local social codes, and he advises Gino on how to manage his household and maintain his authority according to traditional Italian gender roles.