An Irish member of Parliament famous for his vehement opposition to the French Revolution, whose arguments in Reflections on the Revolution in France are systematically countered by Paine.

A Welsh minister and advocate of the American and French Revolutions, whose sermon praising the French Revolution spurred Burke to write his Reflections, and whom Paine defends early in his work.

A renowned French nobleman and military officer who supported both the American and French Revolutions, appearing in Paine's narrative as a key figure in the early stages of the French Revolution.

The French monarch whose execution became a significant event in the revolutionary timeframe, portrayed by Paine as a symbol of absolute monarchy rather than its architect.

The prominent American statesman and author of the Declaration of Independence, whose ideas on generational authority influence the arguments within Paine's work.

The Norman duke who conquered England in 1066 and whose legacy of feudal aristocracy Paine references to critique the foundations of the British monarchy.