Act 5 of Henry IV, part 1 runs 520 lines across 5 scenes with 11 speaking characters — about 17.1% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — King Henry Iv: “How bloodily the sun begins to peer”
Closes (Scene 5) — King Henry Iv: “Let us not leave till all our own be won.”
The 5 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 142 | 4 | 27.3% |
| Scene 2 | 102 | 5 | 19.6% |
| Scene 3 | 62 | 5 | 11.9% |
| Scene 4 | 169 | 7 | 32.5% |
| Scene 5 | 45 | 4 | 8.7% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Prince Henry with 25% of Act 5’s dialogue (132 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Henry ♂ | 132 | 25.4% |
| King Henry Iv ♂ | 91 | 17.5% |
| Earl Of Worcester ♂ | 84 | 16.2% |
| Falstaff ♂ | 81 | 15.6% |
| Hotspur ♂ | 64 | 12.3% |
| Earl Of Douglas ♂ | 29 | 5.6% |
| Vernon ♂ | 21 | 4.0% |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 5 (45 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (169 lines, the longest), averaging about 104 lines per scene.
How Act 5 of Henry IV, part 1 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | 653 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 569 | 5 |
| Richard II | 565 | 6 |
| King John | 537 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 536 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 1 (this act) | 520 | 5 |
| Henry V | 516 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 497 | 7 |
| Richard III | 482 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 343 | 3 |
About Act 5 of Henry IV, part 1
How many lines are in Act 5 of Henry IV, part 1?
520 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Prince Henry delivers 25% of the act’s dialogue (132 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 4, at 169 lines — well above the act’s scene average.