Character in Coriolanus
Volumnia ♀ female
314Lines Spoken
1.3First Scene
5.3Last Scene
8.3%Of Play Dialogue
Volumnia is the #3 largest role in Coriolanus, speaking 314 lines (8.3% of the play) across 6 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Volumnia shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Volumnia’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coriolanus | 680 | 18.1% |
| 2 | Menenius | 589 | 15.7% |
| 3 | Volumnia (this role) | 314 | 8.3% |
| 4 | Sicinius | 305 | 8.1% |
| 5 | Cominius | 286 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Aufidius | 275 | 7.3% |
| 7 | Brutus | 247 | 6.6% |
| 8 | Marcius | 218 | 5.8% |
| 9 | First Senator | 90 | 2.4% |
| 10 | First Citizen | 79 | 2.1% |
How Volumnia’s dialogue distributes across the play
Volumnia’s dramatic peak falls in Act 5 with 105 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 3): “I pray you, daughter, sing; or express yourself in a”
Representative speech (Act 3, Scene 2): “I' the war do grow together: grant that, and tell me,”
Who Volumnia shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Virgilia | 5 |
| Menenius | 4 |
| Coriolanus | 4 |
| Cominius | 3 |
| Sicinius | 2 |
| Brutus | 2 |
| Valeria | 2 |
| Both | 1 |
| First Senator | 1 |
| A Patrician | 1 |
Questions about Volumnia
Is Volumnia the lead role in Coriolanus?
Volumnia is ranked #3 by line count among 61 speaking characters in Coriolanus — a major role carrying 8.3% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Volumnia’s longest scene?
Act 5 Scene 3, where Volumnia speaks 105 lines.
Who does Volumnia speak to the most?
Volumnia shares the most scenes with Virgilia — 5 scenes together across Coriolanus.