Act 5 of Coriolanus runs 686 lines across 6 scenes with 24 speaking characters — about 18.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Menenius: “No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath said”
Closes (Scene 6) — Aufidius: “Yet he shall have a noble memory. Assist.”
The 6 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 86 | 4 | 12.5% |
| Scene 2 | 114 | 5 | 16.6% |
| Scene 3 | 229 | 5 | 33.4% |
| Scene 4 | 69 | 4 | 10.1% |
| Scene 5 | 7 | 2 | 1.0% |
| Scene 6 | 181 | 12 | 26.4% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Coriolanus with 23% of Act 5’s dialogue (155 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coriolanus ♂ | 155 | 22.6% |
| Menenius ♂ | 132 | 19.2% |
| Volumnia ♀ | 105 | 15.3% |
| Aufidius ♂ | 98 | 14.3% |
| First Senator ♂ | 37 | 5.4% |
| Cominius ♂ | 31 | 4.5% |
| Sicinius ♂ | 25 | 3.6% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| First Lord ♂ | 13 |
| Third Conspirator ♂ | 12 |
| Second Lord ♂ | 9 |
| First Conspirator ♂ | 8 |
| Second Conspirator ♂ | 7 |
Pacing across the 6 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 5 (7 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (229 lines, the longest), averaging about 114 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 5
Act 5 reflects the play’s overall balance — 16% female dialogue (play average: 10%).
Act 5
Male 575 · Female 111
How Act 5 of Coriolanus compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 731 | 2 |
| Coriolanus (this act) | 686 | 6 |
| Titus Andronicus | 578 | 3 |
| Othello | 567 | 2 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 520 | 2 |
| King Lear | 477 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 441 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 398 | 8 |
| Timon of Athens | 381 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 379 | 5 |
About Act 5 of Coriolanus
How many lines are in Act 5 of Coriolanus?
686 lines spread across 6 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Coriolanus delivers 23% of the act’s dialogue (155 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 3, at 229 lines — well above the act’s scene average.