There are 2 main character in the story. Yertle is the first main character in the story and he is the one who is controlling and acts like hitler. The second main character in the story is Mack the turtle. Mack the turtle is the one who begs for yertle to let them get down and be free and when yertle wouldn't let him mack burped and made them all fall and be free. The rest of the turtles names are not mentioned but they are the ones that also get stacked up under yertle as a throne.