Act 2 of Cymbeline runs 524 lines across 4 scenes with 13 speaking characters — about 14.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Cloten: “Was there ever man had such luck! when I kissed the”
Closes (Scene 5) — Posthumus Leonatus: “The very devils cannot plague them better.”
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 63 | 3 | 12.0% |
| Scene 2 | 231 | 11 | 44.1% |
| Scene 4 | 195 | 3 | 37.2% |
| Scene 5 | 35 | 1 | 6.7% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Posthumus Leonatus with 25% of Act 2’s dialogue (133 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Posthumus Leonatus ♂ | 133 | 25.4% |
| Iachimo ♂ | 114 | 21.8% |
| Cloten ♂ | 107 | 20.4% |
| Imogen ♀ | 64 | 12.2% |
| Second Lord ♂ | 31 | 5.9% |
| Philario ♂ | 24 | 4.6% |
| Cymbeline ♀ | 15 | 2.9% |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 5 (35 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (231 lines, the longest), averaging about 131 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Act 2 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 19%, compared to 29% overall.
Act 2
Male 424 · Female 100
How Act 2 of Cymbeline compares to other romances
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter's Tale | 566 | 3 |
| The Tempest | 555 | 2 |
| Pericles, Prince of Tyre | 544 | 5 |
| Cymbeline (this act) | 524 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Cymbeline
How many lines are in Act 2 of Cymbeline?
524 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Posthumus Leonatus delivers 25% of the act’s dialogue (133 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 2, at 231 lines — well above the act’s scene average.