ADMETOS
Hero of the Trojan War, King of Thessaly, and husband to ALCESTIS. He is grieving over ALCESTIS' decision, and angry at his parents' lack of sacrifice.
ALCESTIS
Queen of Thessaly, and wife to ADMETOS. She has chosen to sacrifice herself so that ADMETOS might live, and is terrified that he may remarry; a jealous, new wife could mean the end of her own children.
HERACLES
Hero of ancient Greece, HERACLES is the son of Zeus, endowed with supernatural strength. He has been charged with a series of twelve labors, or tasks that he must complete. At the time of this play he is two-thirds of the way through his labors.
CHORUS 1,2,3
Friends of ADMETOS. They have come to see him and show their support during this hour of need.
MAID
Attendant to ALCESTIS on this day of her death; emotionally distraught.
APOLLO
God of music and medicine. GOD slew his son, Aesculapius, with a thunderbolt, so APOLLO slew the Titans that had manufactured that thunderbolt. As punishment, APOLLO was forced to become a slave for ADMETOS. Because of this, the kingdom of Thessaly has flourished.
DEATH
Maybe a god, maybe not. DEATH has come to Thessaly to collect ALCESTIS, since she has volunteered to go in ADMETOS' place.
PHERES
Retired King of Thessaly, and father to ADMETOS. He refused to die in the place of ADMETOS, and now ADMETOS hates him for it.
SERVANT
Servant of ADMETOS. Believes strongly in the sanctity of a house in mourning.
IOLAUS and LICHAS
Attendants to HERACLES.
PROMETHEUS
One of the Titans -- punished eternally by GOD for giving fire to man -- chained to a rock. Every day his liver is torn out of his body by a VULTURE, and every day it regenerates. PROMETHEUS holds the secret to the future of GOD.
GOD
The leader of all the gods (Zeus, basically). Punisher of APOLLO and PROMETHEUS.
VULTURE
Servant to GOD, sent to eternally torment PROMETHEUS.
