Character in Troilus and Cressida
Ulysses ♂ male
488Lines Spoken
1.3First Scene
5.5Last Scene
14.1%Of Play Dialogue
Ulysses is the #2 largest role in Troilus and Cressida, speaking 488 lines (14.1% of the play) across 7 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Ulysses shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Ulysses’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troilus | 537 | 15.5% |
| 2 | Ulysses (this role) | 488 | 14.1% |
| 3 | Pandarus | 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 Ulysses’s dialogue distributes across the play
Ulysses’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 179 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 3): “Thou great commander, nerve and bone of Greece,”
Representative speech (Act 2, Scene 3): “[To AGAMEMNON] My lord, you feed too much on this dislike.”
Who Ulysses shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Diomedes | 6 |
| Agamemnon | 6 |
| Nestor | 5 |
| Ajax | 5 |
| Achilles | 5 |
| Menelaus | 4 |
| Patroclus | 4 |
| Thersites | 4 |
| Troilus | 3 |
| Aeneas | 3 |
Questions about Ulysses
Is Ulysses the lead role in Troilus and Cressida?
Ulysses is ranked #2 by line count among 28 speaking characters in Troilus and Cressida — a major role carrying 14.1% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Ulysses’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 3, where Ulysses speaks 179 lines.
Who does Ulysses speak to the most?
Ulysses shares the most scenes with Diomedes — 6 scenes together across Troilus and Cressida.