Character in Richard II
Henry Bolingbroke ♂ male
413Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.6Last Scene
14.8%Of Play Dialogue
Henry Bolingbroke is the #2 largest role in Richard II, speaking 413 lines (14.8% of the play) across 8 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Henry Bolingbroke shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Henry Bolingbroke’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Richard Ii | 758 | 27.1% |
| 2 | Henry Bolingbroke (this role) | 413 | 14.8% |
| 3 | Duke Of York | 290 | 10.4% |
| 4 | John Of Gaunt | 191 | 6.8% |
| 5 | Northumberland | 142 | 5.1% |
| 6 | Thomas Mowbray | 135 | 4.8% |
| 7 | Queen | 115 | 4.1% |
| 8 | Duchess Of York | 94 | 3.4% |
| 9 | Duke Of Aumerle | 85 | 3.0% |
| 10 | Bishop Of Carlisle | 63 | 2.3% |
How Henry Bolingbroke’s dialogue distributes across the play
Henry Bolingbroke’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 137 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Many years of happy days befal”
Representative speech (Act 1, Scene 1): “Sluiced out his innocent soul through streams of blood:”
Who Henry Bolingbroke shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Duke Of York | 5 |
| Henry Percy | 5 |
| Duke Of Aumerle | 4 |
| Northumberland | 4 |
| King Richard Ii | 4 |
| John Of Gaunt | 2 |
| Lord Fitzwater | 2 |
| Thomas Mowbray | 2 |
| Green | 1 |
| Lord Willoughby | 1 |
Questions about Henry Bolingbroke
Is Henry Bolingbroke the lead role in Richard II?
Henry Bolingbroke is ranked #2 by line count among 35 speaking characters in Richard II — a major role carrying 14.8% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Henry Bolingbroke’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 3, where Henry Bolingbroke speaks 78 lines.
Who does Henry Bolingbroke speak to the most?
Henry Bolingbroke shares the most scenes with Duke Of York — 5 scenes together across Richard II.