Dr. Iannis
Dr. Iannis is the father of Pelagia. He is also a doctor but he isn’t qualified for the position because he has gained experience from practicing. He is very intelligent because he taught Pelagia languages. He believes that Mandras, Pelagia’s fiancée, isn’t good enough for her because he is illiterate and not intelligent like Pelagia. At one point he is kidnaped by communists and he returns traumatized by what he has seen. Antonia, his granddaughter, makes his life brighter. He dies when his house collapses on him but he saved Pelagia and Drosoula, Mandra’s mother, by telling them to leave him behind.
Pelagia
Pelagia is our main character. She is the daughter of Dr. Iannis. She is very pretty and she represents Greek beauty. She is not shy and vocal and that I can be seen when Velisarios is teasing Father Arsenios and she stood up for Father Arsenios. She is intelligent because she knows three languages. Also, she is engaged to Mandras that she doesn’t truly love but she thinks he is physically appealing but he leaves to fight at the war but when he returns she kills him with the gun given by her father. She falls in love with an Italian soldier called Captain Antonio Corelli. She is faithful towards Antonio after he leaves the island because she waited for him until he returned.
Mandras
Mandras is Pelagia’s former fiancée. He is a part of ELAS and later EAM. They taught him how to read and write, torture, kill, steal and rape women. He is illiterate because he couldn’t read Pelagia’s letters or write back to her. He has a lot of anger in him and that is seen when he tries to rape Pelagia. But before that he was caring and thoughtful because he would bring Pelagia a fish every day. When he tried to rape Pelagia, she shot him and when his mother entered she cursed Mandras. Shattered, Mandras drowns himself in the sea.
