Character in King Lear
Edgar ♂ male
395Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.3Last Scene
11.3%Of Play Dialogue
Edgar is the #2 largest role in King Lear, speaking 395 lines (11.3% of the play) across 10 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Edgar shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Edgar’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Lear | 752 | 21.5% |
| 2 | Edgar (this role) | 395 | 11.3% |
| 3 | Kent | 369 | 10.5% |
| 4 | Gloucester | 342 | 9.8% |
| 5 | Edmund | 319 | 9.1% |
| 6 | Fool | 227 | 6.5% |
| 7 | Goneril | 202 | 5.8% |
| 8 | Regan | 190 | 5.4% |
| 9 | Albany | 161 | 4.6% |
| 10 | Cordelia | 118 | 3.4% |
How Edgar’s dialogue distributes across the play
Edgar’s dramatic peak falls in Act 4 with 149 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “How now, brother Edmund! what serious”
Representative speech (Act 4, Scene 1): “[Aside] And yet I must.–Bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed.”
Who Edgar shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Gloucester | 7 |
| King Lear | 4 |
| Edmund | 4 |
| Kent | 3 |
| Regan | 3 |
| Gentleman | 2 |
| Albany | 2 |
| Goneril | 2 |
| Fool | 2 |
| Herald | 1 |
Questions about Edgar
Is Edgar the lead role in King Lear?
Edgar is ranked #2 by line count among 26 speaking characters in King Lear — a major role carrying 11.3% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Edgar’s longest scene?
Act 4 Scene 6, where Edgar speaks 115 lines.
Who does Edgar speak to the most?
Edgar shares the most scenes with Gloucester — 7 scenes together across King Lear.