Character in Troilus and Cressida
Thersites ♂ male
284Lines Spoken
2.1First Scene
5.7Last Scene
8.2%Of Play Dialogue
Thersites is the #5 largest role in Troilus and Cressida, speaking 284 lines (8.2% of the play) across 7 scenes from Act 2 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Thersites shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Thersites’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troilus | 537 | 15.5% |
| 2 | Ulysses | 488 | 14.1% |
| 3 | Pandarus | 394 | 11.4% |
| 4 | Cressida | 295 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Thersites (this role) | 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 Thersites’s dialogue distributes across the play
Thersites’s dramatic peak falls in Act 2 with 126 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 2, Scene 1): “Agamemnon, how if he had boils? full, all over,”
Representative speech (Act 5, Scene 2): “Nor I, by Pluto: but that that likes not you pleases me best.”
Who Thersites shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Achilles | 5 |
| Diomedes | 5 |
| Ajax | 4 |
| Patroclus | 4 |
| Ulysses | 4 |
| Troilus | 3 |
| Agamemnon | 3 |
| Nestor | 2 |
| Hector | 2 |
| Menelaus | 2 |
Questions about Thersites
Is Thersites the lead role in Troilus and Cressida?
Thersites is ranked #5 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Troilus and Cressida — a major role carrying 8.2% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Thersites’s longest scene?
Act 2 Scene 1, where Thersites speaks 72 lines.
Who does Thersites speak to the most?
Thersites shares the most scenes with Achilles — 5 scenes together across Troilus and Cressida.