Allegory can be used to represent the “heroes” and “villains” of the political world. In the British poster “Cat and Mouse,” the Liberal legislation is portrayed as a cat with a suffragette in its jaws. Under the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act of 1913, suffragists were caught in a cycle of being jailed and released, hence the “cat and mouse” comparison. This act caused a major loss in voter support for the British Liberal government as these suffragists were being constantly rearrested for the same offense without trial. By depicting the suffragist as a victim of beastial violence, the poster urges the viewer to sympathize with her and vote the Liberal out of office.

Allegorical figures can also be used to endorse and glorify suffrage. By using heroic or virtuous figures, suffrage propagandists tried to show the morality and righteousness of their cause. The archetype of the woman knight or herald is a common figure. This militaristic, Joan of Arc type is often donned in armor and may wield a sword or be blowing a horn. In “Women's Suffrage March and Mass Meeting," a herald blows a trumpet, calling for people to attend a suffrage rally. The knightly imagery is not meant to evoke violence. On the contrary, this archetype symbolized a spiritual war. According to the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) governing council, their warfare was not against men, but against evil. The knight or herald type is alert and demanding attention as she makes a call to action, urging women to fight for equality. This imagery also countered the popular belief that women were weaker than men; the figures show women’s courage and empowerment.

Other types of figures represent moral concepts such as justice or liberty. They are often portrayed in classical Greco-Roman garb. Posters showed them validating and endorsing suffrage. Suffragists aligned themselves with these moral figures to show that voting was a human right. In a UK poster, “Justice Demands the Vote,” the figure of Justice is prominent, standing in solidarity with a suffragist. In the foreground, there is also a representation of the Madonna and Child. The religious imagery was meant to appeal to the British public, who were predominantly Christian. It evokes the purity of Mary and the power and responsibility of motherhood. By invoking Lady Justice and the Virgin Mary - combining ideals of progress and tradition - the artist hoped to convey the message that the suffrage movement was of the highest moral import. In addition, there was an implication that the movement was a holy struggle.

Motherly themes also translated into animal imagery. One example is the poster “Dispossessed,” which shows a rooster sitting on a hen’s nest while she looks on indignantly. Historically, a chicken represents the archetype of Mother and Child and serves as a symbol of maternal and spiritual love. Within literature, the hen typically embodies characteristics such as being self-sacrificing, nurturing, protective, and providing comfort. In the poster, the rooster represents patriarchal government invading the woman’s sphere of domestic management. Women, symbolized by the hen, should have the right to vote because it is part of their traditional role to help make societal decisions related to the family.

Allegory was also used by anti-suffragists who competed with suffragists in the realm of visual persuasion. Anti-suffrage posters often used allegory to make fun of suffragists and mock the movement. "Flocking for Freedom" is an American anti-suffrage poster from 1878 that features caricatures of famous suffragists as a flock of geese. The geese have suffragists’ faces, wear heels, and carry large rolls of manifestos as they proceed toward the Capitol. Geese are traditionally seen as a feminine animal. This poster uses humor to make light of their efforts and make the suffragists look ridiculous.