Character in Hamlet
Hamlet ♂ male
1,495Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.2Last Scene
37.2%Of Play Dialogue
Hamlet is the #1 role in Hamlet by line count (1,495 lines, 37.2% of the play), sharing the stage most often with King Claudius — 8 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Hamlet’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamlet (this role) | 1,495 | 37.2% |
| 2 | King Claudius | 546 | 13.6% |
| 3 | Lord Polonius | 355 | 8.8% |
| 4 | Horatio | 291 | 7.2% |
| 5 | Laertes | 206 | 5.1% |
| 6 | Ophelia | 173 | 4.3% |
| 7 | Queen Gertrude | 157 | 3.9% |
| 8 | Ghost | 95 | 2.4% |
| 9 | First Clown | 94 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Marcellus | 67 | 1.7% |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “[Aside] A little more than kin, and less than kind.”
Longest speech (Act 5, Scene 2): “spirit. Put your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head.”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 2): “Which have solicited. The rest is silence.”
How Hamlet’s dialogue distributes across the play
Hamlet’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 502 lines.
Every scene where Hamlet speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 2 | 102 | 36.6% |
| Act 1, Scene 4 | 68 | 67.3% |
| Act 1, Scene 5 | 98 | 46.2% |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 280 | 45.4% |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 79 | 39.1% |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 224 | 57.3% |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | 24 | 23.5% |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 175 | 74.5% |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | 20 | 64.5% |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | 24 | 32.9% |
| Act 4, Scene 4 | 47 | 69.1% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 132 | 43.0% |
| Act 5, Scene 2 | 222 | 52.4% |
Who Hamlet shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| King Claudius | 8 |
| Queen Gertrude | 7 |
| Rosencrantz | 7 |
| Lord Polonius | 6 |
| Horatio | 6 |
| Guildenstern | 5 |
| All | 4 |
| Laertes | 3 |
| Marcellus | 3 |
| First Player | 2 |
Questions about Hamlet
Is Hamlet the lead role in Hamlet?
Hamlet is ranked #1 by line count among 35 speaking characters in Hamlet — carrying 37.2% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Hamlet’s longest scene?
Act 2 Scene 2, where Hamlet speaks 280 lines.
Who does Hamlet speak to the most?
Hamlet shares the most scenes with King Claudius — 8 scenes together across Hamlet.