Speaker

The speaker, Montez, is one of the two white slavers who was spared in the mutiny to steer the ship. The poem recounts his journey to the New World aboard a slave ship from Africa. The speaker's role is to present an account of the injustices aboard the slave ship in a documentary style and his recollections demonstrate the inhumanity and hypocrisy of slave traders.

Cinquez

Joseph Cinquez is the leader of the slave mutiny and makes the decision to spare Montez. He is depicted as violent and refers to himself as a prince.