Gabriel, the nephew of Julia and Kate Morkan and cousin to Mary Jane, stands as the central figure in the narrative. He is a young, married man with two children. Critics have noted that Gabriel shares his name with one of the archangels in the Bible, the messenger who foretold the births of John the Baptist to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. The other archangel, Michael, is depicted in the Bible as a warrior. In "The Dead," Gabriel is portrayed as more passive compared to the deceased Michael Furey. Critics have drawn parallels between Gabriel and Joyce, suggesting that Gabriel might represent a version of Joyce had he remained in Ireland. Much like Joyce, Gabriel lost his mother at a young age, writes reviews for the Daily Express, is literarily inclined, and teaches English. He is also more cosmopolitan than his peers, valuing both European and Irish culture.

Julia and Kate eagerly anticipate Gabriel’s arrival at the party, honor him with the task of carving the goose, and expect him to deliver a speech each year. However, to some, he appears patronizing. He smirks at Lily's pronunciation of his surname and, after unintentionally offending her, tries to placate her with money instead of addressing his mistake personally. He doubts his audience will appreciate his "superior education" when he considers quoting Robert Browning in his speech. Moreover, he regards his aunts as "two ignorant old women." Despite his flaws, Gabriel is depicted as sensitive, self-aware, and timid. Lily's sharp response to his casual conversation leaves him unsettled. He is unsure how to respond when Molly Ivors accuses him of being a West Briton, sympathetic to English rule, fearing to use "a grandiose phrase with her" in front of others.

Although Gabriel clearly loves and cares for Gretta, some argue he treats her more as a trophy than a person. He fusses over her like a child, insisting she wear galoshes despite her indifference to the snow. He jokes that she takes "three mortal hours" to get ready. When she expresses excitement about returning to Galway, where she grew up, his irritation with Molly makes him curt with Gretta, telling her she can go alone if she wishes. Throughout most of the story, Gabriel takes Gretta for granted, viewing her with pride and, later, desire. It is only after she reveals her past with Michael Furey that he reassesses his relationship with her. Gabriel experiences a transformation at the story's end, gaining new insights into his marriage, himself, and the human condition.

Mr. Bergin
Mr. Bergin is one of the young men attending the Morkans' party. After being ignored by Miss Furlong and Miss Daly, Mr. Browne turns to converse with him. He dances a quadrille with Miss Furlong.

Bessie
Bessie is the housekeeper for Gabriel and Gretta Conroy.

Mr. Browne
A guest at the Morkans' party, Mr. Browne enjoys drinking whiskey and flirting with women. Despite his efforts, people don't seem to warm up to him as much as he believes they should. For instance, Kate Morkan walks away when he starts explaining why women are so fond of him. Some critics interpret him as a symbol of English rule over Ireland. Aunt Kate irritably remarks, "Browne is everywhere," mirroring the pervasive presence of Britain in Ireland. He is the only Protestant in the story, while the others are Irish Catholics. In Ireland, Protestants typically support British rule, whereas Catholics often favor independence. He appears condescending toward others, frequently mispronouncing Freddy Malins's name as "Teddy." After Miss Julia sings, he mockingly claims she is his latest discovery and then "laughs heartily" at his own comment. When Freddy tells him he might make a worse discovery, Browne maintains his condescension, saying, "I think her voice has greatly improved." At one point, Kate signals to him to ensure that Freddy Malins drinks no more whiskey, implying Browne has some authoritative role, like a policeman.

Constantine Conroy
Constantine is Gabriel Conroy's brother and a senior curate.

Ellen Conroy
Ellen, Gabriel's mother, was the older sister of Julia and Kate. She has been deceased for some time. Gabriel recalls that she opposed his marriage to Gretta, derogatorily calling Gretta "country cute." Unlike her sisters, Ellen was not very musical, but they regarded her as more intelligent. Her sisters described her as "serious" and "matronly." Gabriel credits her with ensuring that her sons received an education, allowing them to achieve a higher social standing.

Eva Conroy
Eva is the daughter of Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. She is briefly mentioned when Gretta says that Gabriel forces Ellen to eat her "stirabout," or Irish porridge.

Gretta Conroy
Gretta, Gabriel Conroy's wife, hails from Galway, a rural area in western Ireland, much like Joyce's wife, Nora. She appears to cherish Gabriel and often playfully mocks his attentive behavior towards her and their children. However, Gabriel wasn't her first love. After hearing Bartell D'Arcy sing "The Lass of Aughrim," she recalls a past love, Michael Furey, who she claims "died for her." Gretta recounts that Michael was deeply in love with her during her youth. On the night before she left for a convent, Michael stood in the rain outside her window, expressing his despair. He passed away merely a week after her arrival at the convent.

T. J. Conroy
The father of Gabriel Conroy.

Tom Conroy
Tom, the son of Gabriel and Gretta Conroy, is made to wear green eye shades at night and exercise with dumbbells by his father.

Miss Daly
Miss Daly is a young woman attending the Morkans' party. She performs a waltz and is one of the ladies Mr. Browne flirts with.

Mr. Bartell D'Arcy
D'Arcy, a tenor and party guest, is self-conscious about his voice due to a cold. Despite this, he sings "The Lass of Aughrim," triggering memories in Gretta Conroy of her former lover.

Michael Furey
Michael, a gentle and delicate youth from Gretta Conroy's past, is mentioned only towards the story's end. Critics note that Michael shares his name with one of the biblical archangels, known as a warrior, contrasting with the archangel Gabriel, who serves as a messenger. Even Michael's surname suggests passion. Michael exemplifies living life passionately, unlike the more reserved Gabriel Conroy. Gabriel comes to realize that he has never loved anyone as fervently as Michael loved Gretta. Gretta shares that Michael was a talented singer who aspired to study music but was hindered by poor health and worked at the gasworks. When Gretta left Galway to spend the winter at a Dublin convent, she was in a relationship with seventeen-year-old Michael. He stood outside her home on a cold, rainy night before her departure, expressing his desire not to live. He died a week after she reached the convent, and Gretta believes he died for her.

Miss Furlong
Miss Furlong, a student of Mary Jane, is one of the young women attending the Morkans' party.

Miss Molly Ivors
Molly Ivors, a friend of Gabriel's who partners with him in a dance, serves as a foil to Gabriel's political views. Gabriel observes that their lives have run parallel: they attended university together and both work as teachers. A fervent Irish nationalist, she believes it is crucial to appreciate Irish culture, while Gabriel argues for the importance of European culture and languages as well. He tells her that Irish is not his language, hinting that English is the language commonly spoken. Molly accuses Gabriel of being a "West Briton" because he writes for the Daily Express—a term used derogatorily for those loyal to British rule in Ireland, and the Daily Express is known for its pro-British stance. Molly wears a brooch with an Irish design and uses the Irish farewell, "beannacht libh," when she departs the party before dinner.

Mr. Kerrigan
Mr. Kerrigan is one of the young men at the Morkans' party. After being snubbed by Miss Furlong and Miss Daly, Mr. Browne strikes up a conversation with him. He dances a quadrille with Miss Power.

Lily
Lily is the first character introduced in the story. She is the caretaker's daughter, with the caretaker being a fellow tenant in the Morkans' building. She works as the Morkans' housekeeper and is busy greeting guests at the door at the beginning of the story. Lily makes Gabriel uncomfortable with her curt response when he asks if she might be getting married soon. She replies, "The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you." Kate remarks that she doesn't know what has come over Lily, stating, "she's not the girl she was at all."

Freddy Malins
Freddy Malins, a friend of the Morkans and a guest at their party, struggles with alcoholism—Julia and Kate worry he will arrive "screwed." Some critics see Freddy as Gabriel's counterpart because they arrive at the party almost simultaneously and share physical similarities. Freddy defends Julia's singing against Mr. Browne's sarcastic comment about "discovering" her talent, saying, "Well, Browne, if you're serious you might make a worse discovery. All I can say is I never heard her sing half as well as long as I am coming here. And that's the honest truth."

Mrs. Malins
Mrs. Malins is the mother of Freddy Malins.

Mary Jane Morkan
Mary Jane is Gabriel Conroy's cousin and the daughter of the late Pat Morkan, Kate and Julia's brother. After her father's death, she moved in with her two aunts. Mary Jane plays the organ at "Haddington Road," the common name for a Roman Catholic church. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and teaches children from upper-class families.

Miss O'Callaghan
Miss O'Callaghan is a young woman who attends the Morkans' party. During the cab ride home with Gabriel, Gretta, and Mr. D'Arcy, she mentions an old saying that one never crosses O'Connell Bridge without seeing a white horse. Gabriel humorously responds that he sees a white man, referring to the snow-covered statue of Daniel O'Connell, an Irish Catholic civil rights leader from the early 18th century.

Miss Power
Miss Power, another young woman at the Morkans' party, shares a dance with Mr. Kerrigan.

Julia Morkan
Julia, Gabriel Conroy's aunt, is one of the party's hostesses. She sings as the lead soprano at Adam and Eve's, a Catholic church in Dublin. The narrator describes her face as giving the impression of a “woman who does not know where she is going.”

Kate Morkan
Kate, also Gabriel Conroy's aunt and a hostess of the party, is too frail to go out often, so she gives music lessons to children at home. Despite her frailty, she is considered the more lively of the two sisters and feels strongly that the Catholic church is unfair to women with talents like Julia's.

Pat Morkan
Pat was the brother of Ellen, Julia, and Kate, and the father of Mary Jane Morkan.

Patrick Morkan
Patrick was the father of Ellen, Julia, Kate, and Pat, and Gabriel's grandfather. Gabriel recounts a story about Patrick bringing a horse to a military parade in the park. The horse, accustomed to working in a starch mill and walking in circles to power a machine, started walking in circles around a statue of King William III of England. Some critics interpret this as symbolizing Ireland's subjugation by Britain.