Gertrud

Gertrud is a former opera singer who believes love is the ultimate meaning of life and refuses to settle for a loveless marriage. She asserts her independence by declaring she will divorce and pursue a relationship that fulfills her emotionally. Her actions awaken conflict with her husband and others who value social status. In the end, she travels to Paris and looks back on her life, maintaining that love is supreme, even at the cost of loneliness.

Erland Jansson is a talented young pianist who becomes Gertrud's lover. He is devoted and idealistic, promising to love her above all else. However, his plans are constrained by impending fatherhood and his own career, preventing him from leaving his life behind. His relationship with Gertrud exposes the tension between personal happiness and social responsibilities.

Gustav Kanning is a lawyer and politician who prioritizes career and social status over love. He tries to keep his marriage intact by offering a last night with Gertrud and even allowing her to keep her lover temporarily, revealing his struggle between ambition and affection. He is pragmatic, calculating, and desperate to preserve appearances. His inability to understand Gertrud's need for authentic love underscores the film's critique of bourgeois values.

Lidman is a poet who previously had a relationship with Gertrud; He now intersects with her life and tries to persuade her to join him for love and a new life. He embodies the old literary circle that once venerated career and fame, mirroring Kanning's attitudes. He reveals that Gertrud's decisions are shaped by a history of relationships that sacrificed personal happiness for status. His conversation with Gertrud adds depth to the theme of choosing love over career.

Axel Nygen is a friend in the social circle who interacts with Gertrud and serves as a witness to the drama surrounding her life. He embodies the social world that both Gertrud and her husband navigate; He too is part of the bourgeois network that values appearances.

Kanning's mother represents the older generation's concerns and domestic sensibilities, providing a view into the family dynamics that frame Gertrud's choices.