Act 2 of Coriolanus runs 762 lines across 3 scenes, carrying about 20.3% of the play’s total dialogue with 27 named speakers. It’s longer than the play’s average act (752 lines).
Act opens (Scene 1, Menenius): “The augurer tells me we shall have news to-night.”
Act closes (Scene 3, Sicinius): “And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,”
The 3 scenes of Act 2
Who speaks in Act 2
The leading voice is Menenius with 23% of Act 2’s dialogue (173 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Menenius ♂ | 173 | 22.7% |
| Brutus ♂ | 125 | 16.4% |
| Coriolanus ♂ | 112 | 14.7% |
| Sicinius ♂ | 93 | 12.2% |
| Third Citizen ♂ | 53 | 7.0% |
| Cominius ♂ | 50 | 6.6% |
| Volumnia ♀ | 40 | 5.2% |
How Act 2 of Coriolanus compares to other tragedys
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Antony and Cleopatra | 883 | 7 |
| Coriolanus (this act) | 762 | 3 |
| Hamlet | 748 | 2 |
| Othello | 735 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 685 | 7 |
| King Lear | 678 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 552 | 4 |
| Titus Andronicus | 538 | 4 |
| Macbeth | 396 | 4 |
| Timon of Athens | 291 | 2 |
About Act 2 of Coriolanus
How many lines are in Act 2 of Coriolanus?
762 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Menenius delivers 23% of the act’s dialogue (173 lines).