It is revealed that Hickey has murdered his wife, although not in cold blood. In fact, Hickey murdered his wife in an attempt to "save" them both from their fruitless aspirations of success. Hickey's own "gospel" of salvation is an attempt to elude guilt for his crime. Through his messianic attitude and personal flaws, he essentially becomes the play's Christ figure.
In the final scene of the play, Hickey turns himself in and requests his own execution; a willing sacrifice of his own life so that he may be purged of his crime and "cleansed".
Harry Hope: Harry Hope is the sixty-odd proprietor of the bar. Since the entire bar is a haven for those who have pipe dreams, Harry's own is that he has not ventured outside of his bar in twenty years out of respect for his wife. However, the truth is that he hated his wife, Bess, and that he simply fears the outside world. When he finally does venture outside, he feels as though he is a dead man, alive only in the world he has known for the past twenty years. As he reverts to living his pipe dream, the other patrons revert as well.
Don Parritt: Don Parritt is an unpleasant 18 year old who harbors an intense hatred towards his Anarchist and whorish mother, who favored the Movement moreso than her own son. He comes to Larry Slade, who was once his mother's lover, after he betrays the Anarchist Movement, effectively turning in his own mother. He feels guilt over his treason, however, and begs for Larry's judgement. As Judas did after betraying Christ, Parrit commits suicide, unable to cope.
Larry Slade: Larry Slade is the kindest patron of Harry Hope's Saloon. He has detached himself from the world, finding that all it does is disgust him. He was, at one point, an Anarchist, and was the lover of Don Parritt's mother. He has a sardonic outlook on the group's dreams for tomorrow, and is noted by O'Neill as having the look of a weary priest.