Mrs. Martha Hale
Martha Hale is the wife of Mr. Hale, a farmer. She is steadfast, intuitive, and efficient; she also possesses strong opinions but knows when to stay them. She used to be friends with Minnie years ago, but the isolated, cheerless nature of Minnie's life precludes Martha from visiting her often and, now, makes her feel guilty. With Mrs. Peters, she finds clues as to why Minnie killed her husband; knowing that the men investigating Minnie are not truly her "peers," she ultimately decides to keep the evidence secret.
Mr. Hale
Mr. Hale is Martha’s husband and a farmer. He is a pleasant man and appears to be a good husband to Mrs. Hale, but he is easily swayed by the other men's condescending and misogynist attitudes, adding his own thoughtless comments to them.
Mrs. Peters
Mrs. Peters is the sheriff’s wife. She is a rather timid woman who is afraid to express her opinion and initially looks for justifications for her husband’s and the attorney’s jokes. However, she is more insightful and intuitive than initially seen by Mrs. Hale and the reader, and she eventually comes to defend Minnie and see her as a victim as well.
Minnie Foster
Minnie Foster/Mrs. Wright is one of the main characters of the story. She used to be a vivacious and happy girl whose clear voice stood out in the choir, but her unhappy marriage to John Wright destroyed her. Though she doesn't appear in the story other than in the reflections of other characters, she comes across as quiet, sad, and lonely.
John Wright
John Wright, the murdered man, was the husband of Minnie Wright. The people who knew him said that he was a good man, for he didn’t drink, kept his word, and paid his debts; however, he was also severe, exacting, miserly, and cruel. Mrs. Hale says that he is “like a raw wind that gets to the bone.”
Henderson
Young Henderson is the county attorney who, while apparently good at his job, is sexist, ignorant, and demeaning.
Mr. Peters
Mr. Peters is a local sheriff and a husband of Mrs. Peters. He is described as a large man with a big voice. He seems to want to project to the world that he knows who is a criminal and who is not.
Harry Hale
Harry Hale is the eldest son of Mrs. and Mr. Hale. He is with Mr. Hale when they discover John Wright's body.
Dr. Lloyd
Dr. Lloyd is a local doctor.
