Act 3 of Hamlet belongs to Hamlet, who delivers 54% of the act’s dialogue (502 of 930 lines) across 4 scenes.
Opens (Scene 1) — King Claudius: “And can you, by no drift of circumstance,”
Closes (Scene 4) — Hamlet: “Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.”
The 4 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 202 | 7 | 21.7% |
| Scene 2 | 391 | 14 | 42.0% |
| Scene 3 | 102 | 5 | 11.0% |
| Scene 4 | 235 | 4 | 25.3% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Hamlet with 54% of Act 3’s dialogue (502 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet ♂ | 502 | 54.0% |
| King Claudius ♂ | 96 | 10.3% |
| Queen Gertrude ♀ | 59 | 6.3% |
| Lord Polonius ♂ | 52 | 5.6% |
| Ophelia ♀ | 49 | 5.3% |
| Player King ♂ | 44 | 4.7% |
| Rosencrantz ♂ | 38 | 4.1% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Player King ♂ | 44 |
| Player Queen ♀ | 30 |
| Lucianus ♂ | 6 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 3 (102 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (391 lines, the longest), averaging about 233 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Act 3 reflects the play’s overall balance — 15% female dialogue (play average: 9%).
Act 3
Male 792 · Female 138
How Act 3 of Hamlet compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet (this act) | 930 | 4 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 885 | 13 |
| Othello | 826 | 4 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 821 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 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 Hamlet
How many lines are in Act 3 of Hamlet?
930 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Hamlet delivers 54% of the act’s dialogue (502 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 2, at 391 lines — well above the act’s scene average.