Martin Guerre, the protagonist, is characterized as both victim and villain. Martin did not enjoy a happy childhood upon his arrival in Artigat as a three or four-year-old child. Born in Hendaye, in the Basque region, he grew up surrounded by women. His father and his uncle shared the position of head of household, and both had intense personalities, perhaps even competing at times for the leadership position. Martin endured other challenges which may have compromised his development into a confident young man: as a child in Artigat, he had to learn a new language, which meant that communication may have been difficult, and he had an unusual first name for the Languedoc area that may have inspired mockery. He did, however, grow up to be a tall, slim eligible young man who was considered a good match for Bertrande de Rols, the daughter of a respectable Artigat family.

Married at about fourteen years old, Martin was unsuccessful as a husband, as he was unable to consummate his marriage. Knowledge of his difficulty may have been public, and he may have endured any number of humiliations for eight years until he was able to impregnate his wife, which further imperiled his psychological and emotional stability.