Act 1 of Coriolanus runs 842 lines across 10 scenes with 25 speaking characters — about 22.4% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — First Citizen: “Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.”
Closes (Scene 10) — Aufidius: “How the world goes, that to the pace of it”
The 10 scenes of Act 1
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 298 | 11 | 35.4% |
| Scene 2 | 47 | 4 | 5.6% |
| Scene 3 | 111 | 4 | 13.2% |
| Scene 4 | 76 | 7 | 9.0% |
| Scene 5 | 32 | 5 | 3.8% |
| Scene 6 | 108 | 3 | 12.8% |
| Scene 7 | 8 | 2 | 1.0% |
| Scene 8 | 19 | 2 | 2.3% |
| Scene 9 | 107 | 5 | 12.7% |
| Scene 10 | 36 | 2 | 4.3% |
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Marcius with 26% of Act 1’s dialogue (218 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Marcius ♂ | 218 | 25.9% |
| Cominius ♂ | 107 | 12.7% |
| Menenius ♂ | 93 | 11.0% |
| Aufidius ♂ | 73 | 8.7% |
| First Citizen ♂ | 61 | 7.2% |
| Volumnia ♀ | 50 | 5.9% |
| Lartius ♂ | 42 | 5.0% |
Pacing across the 10 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 7 (8 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (298 lines, the longest), averaging about 84 lines per scene.
How Act 1 of Coriolanus compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 951 | 5 |
| Hamlet | 921 | 5 |
| Coriolanus (this act) | 842 | 10 |
| Othello | 739 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 725 | 5 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 582 | 5 |
| Timon of Athens | 576 | 2 |
| Julius Caesar | 574 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 534 | 7 |
| Titus Andronicus | 502 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Coriolanus
How many lines are in Act 1 of Coriolanus?
842 lines spread across 10 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Marcius delivers 26% of the act’s dialogue (218 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 1?
Scene 1, at 298 lines — well above the act’s scene average.