Final answer:
Characters in Longfellow's 'Paul Revere's Ride' include Paul Revere and his horse, the British soldiers, American patriots, and bystanders. The poem dramatizes Revere's midnight ride to warn the patriots of incoming British troops.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characters in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride" include Paul Revere and his horse, the British soldiers, the American patriots, and the bystanders. Longfellow's poem dramatizes the midnight ride of Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, to warn the American patriots in Lexington and Concord about the approaching British forces aiming to seize arms and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. The poem embellishes the historical accuracy of the event, making Revere's role more romantic and heroic than what might have truly occurred. In Revere's historical ride, other riders like William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott participated, and while Revere was captured by the British, it was Prescott who made it to Concord to deliver the warning. The poem captures the urgency and the tension of the times, illustrating the collective effort of American patriots in early acts of defiance against British rule.