Character in King Lear

King Lear ♂ male

Q: Who does King Lear speak to the most?

King Lear shares the most scenes with Kent — 9 scenes together across King Lear.

752Lines Spoken 1.1First Scene 5.3Last Scene 21.5%Of Play Dialogue

King Lear is the #1 role in King Lear by line count (752 lines, 21.5% of the play), sharing the stage most often with Kent — 9 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.

King Lear’s position in the full cast

#	Role	Lines	Share
1	King Lear (this role)	752	21.5%
2	Edgar	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%

Voice signature

Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.”

Longest speech (Act 1, Scene 5): “If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.”

Exit line (Act 5, Scene 3): “Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,”

How King Lear’s dialogue distributes across the play

Act	Lines	Intensity
Act 1	257
Act 2	164
Act 3	141
Act 4	136
Act 5	54

King Lear’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 257 lines.

Every scene where King Lear speaks

Act / Scene	Lines spoken	Share of scene
Act 1, Scene 1	117	35.1%
Act 1, Scene 4	120	34.1%
Act 1, Scene 5	20	41.7%
Act 2, Scene 4	164	48.4%
Act 3, Scene 2	43	43.0%
Act 3, Scene 4	68	36.4%
Act 3, Scene 6	30	25.6%
Act 4, Scene 6	104	33.1%
Act 4, Scene 7	32	29.4%
Act 5, Scene 3	54	14.0%

Who King Lear shares the stage with

Scene partner	Shared scenes
Kent	9
Fool	6
Gloucester	5
Gentleman	5
Edgar	4
Goneril	4
Cordelia	3
Albany	3
Regan	3
Oswald	2

Questions about King Lear

Is King Lear the lead role in King Lear?

King Lear is ranked #1 by line count among 26 speaking characters in King Lear — carrying 21.5% of the play’s dialogue.

What is King Lear’s longest scene?

Act 2 Scene 4, where King Lear speaks 164 lines.

Who does King Lear speak to the most?

King Lear shares the most scenes with Kent — 9 scenes together across King Lear.