Character in King Lear
Edmund ♂ male
319Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.3Last Scene
9.1%Of Play Dialogue
Edmund is the #5 role in King Lear by line count (319 lines, 9.1% of the play), sharing the stage most often with Gloucester — 5 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Edmund’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Lear | 752 | 21.5% |
| 2 | Edgar | 395 | 11.3% |
| 3 | Kent | 369 | 10.5% |
| 4 | Gloucester | 342 | 9.8% |
| 5 | Edmund (this role) | 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 Edmund’s dialogue distributes across the play
Edmund’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 125 lines.
Every scene where Edmund speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 3 | 0.9% |
| Act 1, Scene 2 | 122 | 63.9% |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 63 | 44.7% |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 1 | 0.6% |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | 6 | 24.0% |
| Act 3, Scene 5 | 14 | 56.0% |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | 1 | 0.9% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 31 | 39.7% |
| Act 5, Scene 3 | 78 | 20.2% |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law”
Longest speech (Act 1, Scene 2): “business as I shall find means and acquaint you withal.”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 3): “To lay the blame upon her own despair,”
Who Edmund shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Gloucester | 5 |
| Regan | 5 |
| Edgar | 4 |
| Albany | 4 |
| Goneril | 4 |
| Cornwall | 4 |
| Kent | 3 |
| Cordelia | 2 |
| King Lear | 2 |
| Oswald | 2 |
Questions about Edmund
Is Edmund the lead role in King Lear?
Edmund is ranked #5 by line count among 26 speaking characters in King Lear — carrying 9.1% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Edmund’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 2, where Edmund speaks 122 lines.
Who does Edmund speak to the most?
Edmund shares the most scenes with Gloucester — 5 scenes together across King Lear.