(in order of appearance)
| Oedipus: | king of Thebes, having defeated the Sphinx and married the queen Jocasta |
| Priest: | a servant of the gods, who leads suffering suppliants |
| Creon: | brother of Jocasta |
| Chorus of Thebans: | men and women of the town of Thebes, where the play takes place |
| Tiresias: | aged, blind seer of Thebes |
| Jocasta: | queen of Thebes, wife of Oedipus, mother of their four children |
| Messenger: | a herald from Corinth, where Oedipus grew up |
| Herdsman: | a shepherd from Thebes, who spent most of his time tending his flock on Mount Cithaeron |
| Servant: | a housemaid who serves the royal family |
| Antigone and Ismene: | the daughters of Oedipus and Jocasta |