Character in Cymbeline
Pisanio ♂ male
218Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.5Last Scene
5.8%Of Play Dialogue
Pisanio is the #7 largest role in Cymbeline, speaking 218 lines (5.8% of the play) across 10 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Pisanio shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Pisanio’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imogen | 605 | 16.1% |
| 2 | Posthumus Leonatus | 442 | 11.8% |
| 3 | Iachimo | 430 | 11.5% |
| 4 | Belarius | 346 | 9.2% |
| 5 | Cymbeline | 296 | 7.9% |
| 6 | Cloten | 270 | 7.2% |
| 7 | Pisanio (this role) | 218 | 5.8% |
| 8 | Guiderius | 170 | 4.5% |
| 9 | Queen | 170 | 4.5% |
| 10 | Arviragus | 145 | 3.9% |
How Pisanio’s dialogue distributes across the play
Pisanio’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 142 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “My lord your son drew on my master.”
Representative speech (Act 4, Scene 3): “Wherein I am false I am honest; not true, to be true.”
Who Pisanio shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Imogen | 7 |
| Cymbeline | 5 |
| Queen | 4 |
| Iachimo | 3 |
| Caius Lucius | 2 |
| Cornelius | 2 |
| First Lord | 2 |
| Cloten | 2 |
| Lady | 2 |
| Posthumus Leonatus | 2 |
Questions about Pisanio
Is Pisanio the lead role in Cymbeline?
Pisanio is ranked #7 by line count among 40 speaking characters in Cymbeline — a major role carrying 5.8% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Pisanio’s longest scene?
Act 3 Scene 4, where Pisanio speaks 86 lines.
Who does Pisanio speak to the most?
Pisanio shares the most scenes with Imogen — 7 scenes together across Cymbeline.