Act 4 of Hamlet belongs to King Claudius, who delivers 40% of the act’s dialogue (280 of 693 lines) across 7 scenes.
Opens (Scene 1) — King Claudius: “There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves:”
Closes (Scene 7) — King Claudius: “Now fear I this will give it start again;”
The 7 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 42 | 2 | 6.1% |
| Scene 2 | 31 | 5 | 4.5% |
| Scene 3 | 73 | 3 | 10.5% |
| Scene 4 | 68 | 4 | 9.8% |
| Scene 5 | 235 | 7 | 33.9% |
| Scene 6 | 33 | 3 | 4.8% |
| Scene 7 | 211 | 4 | 30.4% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: King Claudius with 40% of Act 4’s dialogue (280 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Claudius ♂ | 280 | 40.4% |
| Laertes ♂ | 94 | 13.6% |
| Hamlet ♂ | 91 | 13.1% |
| Ophelia ♀ | 76 | 11.0% |
| Queen Gertrude ♀ | 49 | 7.1% |
| Horatio ♂ | 29 | 4.2% |
| Gentleman ♂ | 24 | 3.5% |
Characters first heard in Act 4
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Prince Fortinbras ♂ | 27 |
| Gentleman ♂ | 24 |
| Captain ♂ | 12 |
| Messenger ♂ | 5 |
| First Sailor ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 2 (31 lines, the shortest) to Scene 5 (235 lines, the longest), averaging about 99 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 4
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 4 — 18% of this act’s dialogue vs. 9% across the full play.
Act 4
Male 568 · Female 125
How Act 4 of Hamlet compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 763 | 7 |
| Coriolanus | 707 | 7 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 695 | 15 |
| Hamlet (this act) | 693 | 7 |
| Othello | 691 | 3 |
| Timon of Athens | 626 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 548 | 3 |
| Titus Andronicus | 547 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 461 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 407 | 5 |
About Act 4 of Hamlet
How many lines are in Act 4 of Hamlet?
693 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
King Claudius delivers 40% of the act’s dialogue (280 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 5, at 235 lines — well above the act’s scene average.