Character in Troilus and Cressida
Pandarus ♂ male
394Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.10Last Scene
11.4%Of Play Dialogue
Pandarus is the #3 largest role in Troilus and Cressida, speaking 394 lines (11.4% of the play) across 8 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Pandarus shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Pandarus’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troilus | 537 | 15.5% |
| 2 | Ulysses | 488 | 14.1% |
| 3 | Pandarus (this role) | 394 | 11.4% |
| 4 | Cressida | 295 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Thersites | 284 | 8.2% |
| 6 | Hector | 213 | 6.2% |
| 7 | Agamemnon | 195 | 5.6% |
| 8 | Achilles | 190 | 5.5% |
| 9 | Nestor | 158 | 4.6% |
| 10 | Aeneas | 145 | 4.2% |
How Pandarus’s dialogue distributes across the play
Pandarus’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 182 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Will this gear ne'er be mended?”
Representative speech (Act 1, Scene 2): “They laughed not so much at the hair as at his pretty answer.”
Who Pandarus shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Troilus | 6 |
| Aeneas | 4 |
| Cressida | 4 |
| Paris | 2 |
| Boy | 2 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Andromache | 1 |
| Priam | 1 |
| Cassandra | 1 |
| Deiphobus | 1 |
Questions about Pandarus
Is Pandarus the lead role in Troilus and Cressida?
Pandarus is ranked #3 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Troilus and Cressida — a major role carrying 11.4% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Pandarus’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 2, where Pandarus speaks 145 lines.
Who does Pandarus speak to the most?
Pandarus shares the most scenes with Troilus — 6 scenes together across Troilus and Cressida.