Antony and Cleopatra, Act 3
885Lines
13Scenes
25Speakers
83% / 17%Male / Female Lines
Act 3 of Antony and Cleopatra runs 885 lines across 13 scenes with 25 speaking characters — about 24.8% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Ventidius: “Now, darting Parthia, art thou struck; and now”
Closes (Scene 13) — Domitius Enobarbus: “It eats the sword it fights with. I will seek”
The 13 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 42 | 2 | 4.7% |
| Scene 2 | 84 | 6 | 9.5% |
| Scene 3 | 66 | 4 | 7.5% |
| Scene 4 | 41 | 2 | 4.6% |
| Scene 5 | 25 | 2 | 2.8% |
| Scene 6 | 111 | 4 | 12.5% |
| Scene 7 | 101 | 6 | 11.4% |
| Scene 8 | 6 | 2 | 0.7% |
| Scene 9 | 4 | 1 | 0.5% |
| Scene 10 | 45 | 3 | 5.1% |
| Scene 11 | 81 | 6 | 9.2% |
| Scene 12 | 42 | 4 | 4.7% |
| Scene 13 | 237 | 7 | 26.8% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Mark Antony with 27% of Act 3’s dialogue (243 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Antony ♂ | 243 | 27.5% |
| Octavius Caesar ♂ | 129 | 14.6% |
| Domitius Enobarbus ♂ | 125 | 14.1% |
| Cleopatra ♀ | 104 | 11.8% |
| Octavia ♀ | 33 | 3.7% |
| Thyreus ♂ | 31 | 3.5% |
| Ventidius ♂ | 30 | 3.4% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Dolabella ♂ | 48 |
| Eros ♂ | 47 |
| Scarus ♂ | 40 |
| Soldier ♂ | 38 |
| Thyreus ♂ | 31 |
| Ventidius ♂ | 30 |
| Canidius ♂ | 25 |
| Euphronius ♂ | 16 |
| Silius ♂ | 12 |
| All ♂ | 10 |
Pacing across the 13 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 9 (4 lines, the shortest) to Scene 13 (237 lines, the longest), averaging about 68 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Act 3 reflects the play’s overall balance — 17% female dialogue (play average: 24%).
Act 3
Male 733 · Female 152
How Act 3 of Antony and Cleopatra compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 930 | 4 |
| Antony and Cleopatra (this act) | 885 | 13 |
| Othello | 826 | 4 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 821 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 764 | 3 |
| Julius Caesar | 633 | 3 |
| King Lear | 630 | 7 |
| Timon of Athens | 577 | 6 |
| Macbeth | 509 | 6 |
| Titus Andronicus | 388 | 2 |
About Act 3 of Antony and Cleopatra
How many lines are in Act 3 of Antony and Cleopatra?
885 lines spread across 13 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Mark Antony delivers 27% of the act’s dialogue (243 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 13, at 237 lines — well above the act’s scene average.