Character in Richard III
Buckingham ♂ male
365Lines Spoken
1.3First Scene
5.1Last Scene
9.9%Of Play Dialogue
Buckingham is the #3 largest role in Richard III, speaking 365 lines (9.9% of the play) across 10 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Buckingham shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Buckingham’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gloucester | 698 | 18.9% |
| 2 | King Richard Iii | 473 | 12.8% |
| 3 | Buckingham (this role) | 365 | 9.9% |
| 4 | Queen Elizabeth | 276 | 7.5% |
| 5 | Queen Margaret | 218 | 5.9% |
| 6 | Clarence | 163 | 4.4% |
| 7 | Lady Anne | 158 | 4.3% |
| 8 | Hastings | 144 | 3.9% |
| 9 | Duchess Of York | 142 | 3.8% |
| 10 | Richmond | 137 | 3.7% |
How Buckingham’s dialogue distributes across the play
Buckingham’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 260 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 3): “Good time of day unto your royal grace!”
Representative speech (Act 5, Scene 1): “'When he,' quoth she, 'shall split thy heart with sorrow,”
Who Buckingham shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Gloucester | 7 |
| Hastings | 6 |
| Catesby | 5 |
| Rivers | 3 |
| Derby | 3 |
| Queen Elizabeth | 3 |
| Dorset | 3 |
| Lord Mayor | 3 |
| Lovel | 2 |
| Stanley | 2 |
Questions about Buckingham
Is Buckingham the lead role in Richard III?
Buckingham is ranked #3 by line count among 69 speaking characters in Richard III — a major role carrying 9.9% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Buckingham’s longest scene?
Act 3 Scene 7, where Buckingham speaks 156 lines.
Who does Buckingham speak to the most?
Buckingham shares the most scenes with Gloucester — 7 scenes together across Richard III.