Character in Twelfth Night
Olivia ♀ female
308Lines Spoken
1.5First Scene
5.1Last Scene
12.4%Of Play Dialogue
Olivia is the #3 role in Twelfth Night by line count (308 lines, 12.4% of the play), sharing the stage most often with Sir Toby Belch — 5 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Olivia’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viola | 337 | 13.6% |
| 2 | Sir Toby Belch | 332 | 13.4% |
| 3 | Olivia (this role) | 308 | 12.4% |
| 4 | Clown | 308 | 12.4% |
| 5 | Malvolio | 275 | 11.1% |
| 6 | Duke Orsino | 220 | 8.9% |
| 7 | Sir Andrew | 147 | 5.9% |
| 8 | Maria | 141 | 5.7% |
| 9 | Sebastian | 125 | 5.0% |
| 10 | Fabian | 109 | 4.4% |
Who Olivia shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Sir Toby Belch | 5 |
| Viola | 4 |
| Clown | 4 |
| Sir Andrew | 4 |
| Sebastian | 3 |
| Malvolio | 3 |
| Maria | 2 |
| Fabian | 2 |
| Antonio | 2 |
| First Officer | 2 |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 5): “Go to, you're a dry fool; I'll no more of you:”
Longest speech (Act 1, Scene 5): “Well, sir, for want of other idleness, I'll bide your proof.”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 1): “He hath been most notoriously abused.”
Every scene where Olivia speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 5 | 114 | 38.4% |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 53 | 32.5% |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 45 | 11.8% |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 17 | 27.4% |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | 12 | 34.3% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 67 | 16.1% |
How Olivia’s dialogue distributes across the play
Olivia’s dramatic peak falls in Act 1 with 114 lines.
Questions about Olivia
Is Olivia the lead role in Twelfth Night?
Olivia is ranked #3 by line count among 18 speaking characters in Twelfth Night — carrying 12.4% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Olivia’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 5, where Olivia speaks 114 lines.
Who does Olivia speak to the most?
Olivia shares the most scenes with Sir Toby Belch — 5 scenes together across Twelfth Night.