Character in Richard III
Gloucester ♂ male
698Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
3.7Last Scene
18.9%Of Play Dialogue
Gloucester is the #1 largest role in Richard III, speaking 698 lines (18.9% of the play) across 9 scenes from Act 1 through Act 3. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Gloucester shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Gloucester’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gloucester (this role) | 698 | 18.9% |
| 2 | King Richard Iii | 473 | 12.8% |
| 3 | Buckingham | 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 Gloucester’s dialogue distributes across the play
Gloucester’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 407 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Now is the winter of our discontent”
Representative speech (Act 3, Scene 7): “What tongueless blocks were they! would not they speak?”
Who Gloucester shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Buckingham | 7 |
| Hastings | 6 |
| Derby | 3 |
| Lord Mayor | 3 |
| Rivers | 3 |
| Dorset | 3 |
| Catesby | 3 |
| Queen Elizabeth | 3 |
| Lovel | 2 |
| Ratcliff | 1 |
Questions about Gloucester
Is Gloucester the lead role in Richard III?
Gloucester is ranked #1 by line count among 69 speaking characters in Richard III — a major role carrying 18.9% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Gloucester’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 2, where Gloucester speaks 156 lines.
Who does Gloucester speak to the most?
Gloucester shares the most scenes with Buckingham — 7 scenes together across Richard III.