Act 3 of Coriolanus runs 764 lines across 3 scenes with 15 speaking characters — about 20.3% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Coriolanus: “Tullus Aufidius then had made new head?”
Closes (Scene 3) — Citizens: “The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.”
The 3 scenes of Act 3
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Coriolanus with 34% of Act 3’s dialogue (261 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coriolanus ♂ | 261 | 34.2% |
| Menenius ♂ | 124 | 16.2% |
| Sicinius ♂ | 115 | 15.1% |
| Volumnia ♀ | 77 | 10.1% |
| Brutus ♂ | 69 | 9.0% |
| Cominius ♂ | 51 | 6.7% |
| Citizens ♂ | 20 | 2.6% |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 3 (170 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (422 lines, the longest), averaging about 255 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of Coriolanus compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 930 | 4 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 885 | 13 |
| Othello | 826 | 4 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 821 | 5 |
| Coriolanus (this act) | 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 Coriolanus
How many lines are in Act 3 of Coriolanus?
764 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Coriolanus delivers 34% of the act’s dialogue (261 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 1, at 422 lines — well above the act’s scene average.