All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 3
502Lines
7Scenes
15Speakers
44% / 56%Male / Female Lines
Act 3 of All's Well That Ends Well runs 502 lines across 7 scenes with 15 speaking characters — about 17.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Duke: “So that from point to point now have you heard”
Closes (Scene 7) — Helena: “Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact:”
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 3 — 56% of this act’s dialogue vs. 33% across the full play.
Act 3
Male 220 · Female 282
The 7 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 27 | 3 | 5.4% |
| Scene 2 | 135 | 5 | 26.9% |
| Scene 3 | 14 | 2 | 2.8% |
| Scene 4 | 45 | 2 | 9.0% |
| Scene 5 | 114 | 6 | 22.7% |
| Scene 6 | 113 | 4 | 22.5% |
| Scene 7 | 54 | 2 | 10.8% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Helena with 22% of Act 3’s dialogue (108 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Helena ♀ | 108 | 21.5% |
| Countess ♀ | 75 | 14.9% |
| Widow ♀ | 58 | 11.6% |
| Second Lord ♂ | 43 | 8.6% |
| Bertram ♂ | 40 | 8.0% |
| First Lord ♂ | 36 | 7.2% |
| Clown ♂ | 22 | 4.4% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Diana ♀ | 136 |
| Widow ♀ | 65 |
| Mariana ♀ | 20 |
| Duke ♂ | 19 |
| First Gentleman ♂ | 12 |
| Second Gentleman ♂ | 11 |
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 3 (14 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (135 lines, the longest), averaging about 72 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of All's Well That Ends Well compares to other problem plays
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus and Cressida | 676 | 3 |
| Measure for Measure | 553 | 2 |
| All's Well That Ends Well (this act) | 502 | 7 |
About Act 3 of All's Well That Ends Well
How many lines are in Act 3 of All’s Well That Ends Well?
502 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Helena delivers 22% of the act’s dialogue (108 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 2, at 135 lines — well above the act’s scene average.