Character in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus ♂ male
233Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.1Last Scene
10.8%Of Play Dialogue
Theseus is the #1 largest role in A Midsummer Night's Dream — 233 lines (10.8% of the play) across 3 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5.
Theseus’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theseus (this role) | 233 | 10.8% |
| 2 | Helena | 229 | 10.6% |
| 3 | Oberon | 226 | 10.5% |
| 4 | Puck | 209 | 9.7% |
| 5 | Bottom | 204 | 9.4% |
| 6 | Lysander | 178 | 8.2% |
| 7 | Hermia | 165 | 7.6% |
| 8 | Titania | 158 | 7.3% |
| 9 | Demetrius | 134 | 6.2% |
| 10 | Quince | 83 | 3.8% |
How Theseus’s dialogue distributes across the play
Theseus’s dramatic peak falls in Act 5 with 127 lines.
Every scene where Theseus speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 65 | 25.5% |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 41 | 18.3% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 127 | 29.7% |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour”
Longest speech (Act 5, Scene 1): “leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 1): “In nightly revels and new jollity.”
Who Theseus shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Hippolyta | 3 |
| Lysander | 3 |
| Demetrius | 3 |
| Puck | 2 |
| Egeus | 2 |
| Hermia | 2 |
| Bottom | 2 |
| Titania | 2 |
| Oberon | 2 |
| Helena | 2 |
Questions about Theseus
Is Theseus the lead role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Theseus is ranked #1 by line count among 30 speaking characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream — carrying 10.8% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Theseus’s longest scene?
Act 5 Scene 1, where Theseus speaks 127 lines.
Who does Theseus speak to the most?
Theseus shares the most scenes with Hippolyta — 3 scenes together across A Midsummer Night's Dream.