Gerardo Escobar

Paulina's husband, Gerardo, is a lawyer around the age of forty-five. He has recently been appointed by the president to a commission tasked with investigating human rights violations during the military dictatorship. Gerardo holds a strong belief in justice, which he tries to use to convince his wife to release Miranda. Although Paulina is also guided by ethical principles, she frequently points out the rampant corruption in the country's legal system, which casts doubt on whether the military's crimes will be properly addressed. Gerardo remains confident in the government's ability to do its best under the circumstances, while Paulina feels compelled to take action herself. Her determination is undoubtedly influenced by her own abduction and torture, an experience Gerardo seems to struggle to fully comprehend, despite his professional background.

Gerardo has always found it extremely difficult to talk about Paulina's ordeal, a guilt that is intensified by the fact that she discovered he was having an affair during her captivity. His suggestion that Paulina record her story might be his way of confronting an issue he has long avoided.

Doctor Roberto Miranda

Doctor Roberto Miranda, a physician in his fifties, remains outraged by Paulina's accusations. He frequently reminds Gerardo of his role on the human rights commission, insisting that it is his duty to command Paulina to let him go. Miranda denies any involvement in the torture of military detainees and offers a fabricated confession, hoping Paulina will release him unharmed. However, he inadvertently corrects details in Paulina's recorded account, convincing her that he is indeed the doctor who raped and tortured her. Although Miranda fails to persuade her of his innocence, his plea, "Oh Paulina—isn't it time we stopped?" somehow convinces her to spare his life without a direct and genuine confession.

Miranda is an enigmatic figure whom Dorfman never fully reveals to the audience. Despite substantial evidence suggesting his guilt, it remains possible that he merely coincidentally matches the profile of Paulina's abuser. His guilt seems further implied by his choice not to report his kidnapping, though this could stem from a fear that Gerardo might use his commission position to discredit him. Dorfman leaves these situations unexplained. The play's conclusion leaves Miranda's fate ambiguous: he could be a guilty man haunted by his wartime atrocities, or an innocent man terrified by the threats of a disturbed woman.

Paulina Solas

In her youth, during the early days of the military dictatorship that took over her country (the exact location remains unspecified), Paulina partnered with Gerardo to assist people in seeking asylum at embassies and in smuggling them out of the country. However, her activism and medical studies were abruptly halted when the government arrested her. She endured repeated torture and rape before eventually being released. This harrowing experience profoundly altered her life and continues to impact her seventeen years later, when the events of the play take place.

Paulina has buried the most traumatic details of her imprisonment. Her paranoia has kept her from disclosing this information to Gerardo or her mother, fearing that their knowledge could endanger them. Although her country has transitioned from dictatorship to a freely elected government, she suspects that many officials are former military personnel merely posing as democratic and fair-minded. Paulina lives in constant fear, evident in her defensive reaction when Roberto Miranda's unfamiliar car arrives at her home. Since her ordeal, she has also suppressed a great deal of anger, which comes to the surface when she has the chance to take revenge on the man she believes was her main torturer. Confident after "trying" Miranda, Paulina seems poised to kill the doctor but ultimately chooses to show mercy. This decision appears to indicate that she ultimately rejects the principle of an eye for an eye. Nevertheless, her compassionate act comes at the cost of her peace of mind. The tense final image of the play implies that Paulina may never find a satisfying resolution to her enduring pain.