All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 1
570Lines
3Scenes
11Speakers
47% / 53%Male / Female Lines
Act 1 of All's Well That Ends Well runs 570 lines across 3 scenes with 11 speaking characters — about 19.5% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Countess: “In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband.”
Closes (Scene 3) — Countess: “What I can help thee to thou shalt not miss.”
Who carries the voice in Act 1
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 1 — 53% of this act’s dialogue vs. 33% across the full play.
Act 1
Male 270 · Female 300
The 3 scenes of Act 1
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Helena with 27% of Act 1’s dialogue (155 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Helena ♀ | 155 | 27.2% |
| Countess ♀ | 145 | 25.4% |
| King ♂ | 68 | 11.9% |
| Parolles ♂ | 63 | 11.1% |
| Clown ♂ | 62 | 10.9% |
| Lafeu ♂ | 25 | 4.4% |
| Steward ♂ | 24 | 4.2% |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 2 (86 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (262 lines, the longest), averaging about 190 lines per scene.
How Act 1 of All's Well That Ends Well compares to other problem plays
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus and Cressida | 797 | 3 |
| All's Well That Ends Well (this act) | 570 | 3 |
| Measure for Measure | 429 | 4 |
About Act 1 of All's Well That Ends Well
How many lines are in Act 1 of All’s Well That Ends Well?
570 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Helena delivers 27% of the act’s dialogue (155 lines).