Act 3 of As You Like It runs 720 lines across 5 scenes with 12 speaking characters — about 26.9% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Duke Frederick: “Not see him since? Sir, sir, that cannot be:”
Closes (Scene 5) — Phebe: “I will be bitter with him and passing short.”
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 3 — 56% of this act’s dialogue vs. 39% across the full play.
Act 3
Male 315 · Female 405
The 5 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 18 | 2 | 2.5% |
| Scene 2 | 409 | 6 | 56.8% |
| Scene 3 | 93 | 4 | 12.9% |
| Scene 4 | 57 | 3 | 7.9% |
| Scene 5 | 143 | 3 | 19.9% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Rosalind with 32% of Act 3’s dialogue (229 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Rosalind ♀ | 229 | 31.8% |
| Touchstone ♂ | 130 | 18.1% |
| Celia ♀ | 95 | 13.2% |
| Phebe ♀ | 72 | 10.0% |
| Orlando ♂ | 58 | 8.1% |
| Corin ♂ | 41 | 5.7% |
| Jaques ♂ | 35 | 4.9% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 1 (18 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (409 lines, the longest), averaging about 144 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of As You Like It compares to other comedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| As You Like It (this act) | 720 | 5 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | 681 | 2 |
| Twelfth Night | 675 | 4 |
| The Merchant of Venice | 667 | 5 |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | 645 | 5 |
| Much Ado About Nothing | 547 | 5 |
| Two Gentlemen of Verona | 470 | 2 |
| The Comedy of Errors | 377 | 2 |
| Taming of the Shrew | 349 | 2 |
| Love's Labours Lost | 223 | 1 |
About Act 3 of As You Like It
How many lines are in Act 3 of As You Like It?
720 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Rosalind delivers 32% of the act’s dialogue (229 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 2, at 409 lines — well above the act’s scene average.