Silvia
Silvia is a young lady from a good family, well-mannered and with many values, she dreams of having a love match and not only a marriage of convenience with a wealthy man. She is very careful and has a lot of self-esteem, she refuses to be sold off and so, sets up a stratagem with the approval of her father to exchange identities with her maid Lisette, in order to observe more closely her suitor. She appears disconcerted throughout the play because she develops feelings for Dorante, who she thinks is a simple valet. Moreover, her reason and her heart seem to be in a constant battle as she tries to solve out her confusion.
Dorante
Dorante is Silvia's suitor, a very chivalrous and romantic young man despite an initial wariness which pushes him to use the same trick as Silvia and exchange identities with his valet, Arlequin, in order to observe his future wife. Dorante is very honest with himself, and he doesn't hesitate to chase after Silvia when he starts having feelings for her, even though he thinks she is a simple servant. He struggles with his reason as well, but seems to be less reluctant than Silvia when it comes to embracing his feelings despite the astonishing situation he finds himself in. He lets his heart speak most of the time and is more insistent in wanting to conquer the one he loves.
Monsieur Orgon
Monsieur Orgon is Silvia's father, a man of a certain social status. He represents the authority of the household, but doesn't seem to be when it comes to his daughter. He wants her to marry Dorante, who is the son of his friend, but doesn't want to impose this union on her as he cares a lot about Silvia's happiness and wants her to marry someone she loves. Monsieur Orgon is aware of the situation and acts as a game master, pushing Silvia and Dorante towards each other as he advises Lisette when she starts seducing Arlequin. He appears to be very attentive, understanding and clever, watching over a situation that is highly amusing to him.
Mario
Mario is Silvia's brother, a witness in this game of love and chance, he acts as an accomplice of his father and is aware of the situation going on. He appears to be very amused by the situation as well, going as far as pretending to be in love with Silvia in order to provoke reactions from Dorante and see how far he is willing to go for the one he loves. He is a clever character, who is at times an actor and at times a simple spectator of what is going on.
Lisette
Lisette is Silvia's maid, a loyal and distinguished character who is very close to Silvia as she acts not only as her servant but also as her confidante. She is a realistic and honest woman who seems to truly care about Silvia's well-being.
Arlequin
Depicted as the typical character of the popular Harlequin from the Commedia dell'arte, Arlequin is here Dorante's valet. He seems to enjoy taking up Dorante's identity, going as far as abusing his role at times. It's amusing to watch him pretend to be of a higher status, when he doesn't give up his manners, or his vocabulary, staying impertinent and impatient. He is an acrobat who loves drinking, eating and joking and who uses a very colloquial language.
