Act 2 of Henry IV, part 1 runs 850 lines across 4 scenes with 21 speaking characters — about 28.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — First Carrier: “Heigh-ho! an it be not four by the day, I'll be”
Closes (Scene 4) — Prince Henry: “the morning; and so, good morrow, Peto.”
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 92 | 5 | 10.8% |
| Scene 2 | 104 | 9 | 12.2% |
| Scene 3 | 122 | 3 | 14.4% |
| Scene 4 | 532 | 11 | 62.6% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Falstaff with 32% of Act 2’s dialogue (276 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Falstaff ♂ | 276 | 32.5% |
| Prince Henry ♂ | 247 | 29.1% |
| Hotspur ♂ | 72 | 8.5% |
| Lady Percy ♀ | 47 | 5.5% |
| Gadshill ♂ | 44 | 5.2% |
| Poins ♂ | 33 | 3.9% |
| First Carrier ♂ | 20 | 2.4% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Lady Percy ♀ | 57 |
| Hostess ♀ | 49 |
| Gadshill ♂ | 44 |
| Bardolph ♂ | 28 |
| First Carrier ♂ | 20 |
| Chamberlain ♂ | 17 |
| Second Carrier ♂ | 16 |
| Francis ♂ | 15 |
| Peto ♂ | 14 |
| Sheriff ♂ | 8 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 1 (92 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (532 lines, the longest), averaging about 213 lines per scene.
How Act 2 of Henry IV, part 1 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry IV, part 1 (this act) | 850 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 786 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 752 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 705 | 6 |
| Richard II | 649 | 4 |
| King John | 609 | 1 |
| Henry V | 566 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 530 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 509 | 4 |
| Richard III | 425 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Henry IV, part 1
How many lines are in Act 2 of Henry IV, part 1?
850 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Falstaff delivers 32% of the act’s dialogue (276 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 4, at 532 lines — well above the act’s scene average.