A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1
356Lines
2Scenes
14Speakers
71% / 29%Male / Female Lines
Act 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream runs 356 lines across 2 scenes with 14 speaking characters — about 16.5% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Theseus: “Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour”
Closes (Scene 2) — Bottom: “Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.”
The 2 scenes of Act 1
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Theseus with 18% of Act 1’s dialogue (65 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Theseus ♂ | 65 | 18.3% |
| Hermia ♀ | 56 | 15.7% |
| Lysander ♂ | 54 | 15.2% |
| Bottom ♂ | 51 | 14.3% |
| Helena ♀ | 43 | 12.1% |
| Quince ♂ | 42 | 11.8% |
| Egeus ♂ | 30 | 8.4% |
Who carries the voice in Act 1
Act 1 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 29%, compared to 40% overall.
Act 1
Male 252 · Female 104