Act 2 of As You Like It runs 550 lines across 7 scenes with 13 speaking characters — about 20.6% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Duke Senior: “Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,”
Closes (Scene 7) — Duke Senior: “And let me all your fortunes understand.”
The 7 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 73 | 4 | 13.3% |
| Scene 2 | 21 | 3 | 3.8% |
| Scene 3 | 77 | 2 | 14.0% |
| Scene 4 | 99 | 5 | 18.0% |
| Scene 5 | 57 | 2 | 10.4% |
| Scene 6 | 18 | 2 | 3.3% |
| Scene 7 | 205 | 6 | 37.3% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Jaques with 25% of Act 2’s dialogue (139 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Jaques ♂ | 139 | 25.3% |
| Duke Senior ♂ | 81 | 14.7% |
| Orlando ♂ | 70 | 12.7% |
| Adam ♂ | 59 | 10.7% |
| First Lord ♂ | 46 | 8.4% |
| Amiens ♂ | 37 | 6.7% |
| Corin ♂ | 26 | 4.7% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Jaques ♂ | 227 |
| Duke Senior ♂ | 111 |
| Silvius ♂ | 75 |
| Corin ♂ | 68 |
| First Lord ♂ | 46 |
| Amiens ♂ | 37 |
| Second Lord ♂ | 11 |
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 6 (18 lines, the shortest) to Scene 7 (205 lines, the longest), averaging about 79 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 6%, compared to 39% overall.
Act 2
Male 518 · Female 32
How Act 2 of As You Like It compares to other comedies
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| The Merchant of Venice | 677 | 9 |
| Much Ado About Nothing | 644 | 3 |
| Two Gentlemen of Verona | 640 | 7 |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | 592 | 3 |
| Twelfth Night | 591 | 5 |
| As You Like It (this act) | 550 | 7 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | 429 | 2 |
| Taming of the Shrew | 423 | 1 |
| The Comedy of Errors | 365 | 2 |
| Love's Labours Lost | 269 | 1 |
About Act 2 of As You Like It
How many lines are in Act 2 of As You Like It?
550 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Jaques delivers 25% of the act’s dialogue (139 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 7, at 205 lines — well above the act’s scene average.