Martha is a 52-year-old, highly intelligent woman married to George. As the daughter of the university president, she wields significant social power on campus but feels stifled by her husband's lack of professional ambition. She initiates fierce, alcohol-fueled psychological warfare with George during late-night gatherings, using their personal history as ammunition to provoke a reaction.

George is a 46-year-old history professor who has been at the university for decades without achieving the career heights expected by his wife. He masks his deep-seated professional insecurities with sharp wit and cruel social games. He actively resists the ambitious, scientific worldview represented by the newer faculty members, preferring to maintain his intellectual superiority through verbal manipulation.

Honey is a 26-year-old, anxious woman married to Nick. She presents as a mild-mannered young wife who is easily shocked by her hosts' aggressive behavior. Her reliance on brandy to cope with the evening's tension hints at a guarded interior life, though she desperately maintains an outward appearance of domestic innocence.

Nick is a 30-year-old, physically fit new professor in the biology department. He attempts to project a confident masculinity and initially tries to politely manage George and Martha's open hostility. His professional drive makes him a target for George's intellectual attacks, while his athletic background draws Martha's predatory attention.