All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 2
740Lines
5Scenes
12Speakers
78% / 22%Male / Female Lines
Act 2 of All's Well That Ends Well runs 740 lines across 5 scenes with 12 speaking characters — about 25.3% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — King: “Farewell, young lords; these warlike principles”
Closes (Scene 5) — Bertram: “Whilst I can shake my sword or hear the drum.”
The 5 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 222 | 8 | 30.0% |
| Scene 2 | 64 | 2 | 8.6% |
| Scene 3 | 302 | 9 | 40.8% |
| Scene 4 | 56 | 3 | 7.6% |
| Scene 5 | 96 | 4 | 13.0% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: King with 21% of Act 2’s dialogue (157 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King ♂ | 157 | 21.2% |
| Lafeu ♂ | 151 | 20.4% |
| Helena ♀ | 131 | 17.7% |
| Parolles ♂ | 113 | 15.3% |
| Bertram ♂ | 86 | 11.6% |
| Clown ♂ | 57 | 7.7% |
| Countess ♀ | 29 | 3.9% |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 4 (56 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (302 lines, the longest), averaging about 148 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Act 2 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 22%, compared to 33% overall.
Act 2
Male 580 · Female 160
How Act 2 of All's Well That Ends Well compares to other problem plays
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| All's Well That Ends Well (this act) | 740 | 5 |
| Measure for Measure | 739 | 4 |
| Troilus and Cressida | 612 | 3 |
About Act 2 of All's Well That Ends Well
How many lines are in Act 2 of All’s Well That Ends Well?
740 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
King delivers 21% of the act’s dialogue (157 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 3, at 302 lines — well above the act’s scene average.