Act 1 of Henry IV, part 2 runs 586 lines across 3 scenes with 11 speaking characters — about 18.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Lord Bardolph: “That the Lord Bardolph doth attend him here.”
Closes (Scene 3) — Hastings: “We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone.”
The 3 scenes of Act 1
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Falstaff with 37% of Act 1’s dialogue (217 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Falstaff ♂ | 217 | 37.0% |
| Northumberland ♂ | 87 | 14.8% |
| Lord Bardolph ♂ | 87 | 14.8% |
| Morton ♂ | 78 | 13.3% |
| Archbishop Of York ♂ | 34 | 5.8% |
| Hastings ♂ | 28 | 4.8% |
| Travers ♂ | 16 | 2.7% |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 3 (114 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (246 lines, the longest), averaging about 195 lines per scene.
How Act 1 of Henry IV, part 2 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Richard III | 1,080 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 732 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 670 | 4 |
| Richard II | 656 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 627 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 611 | 6 |
| Henry IV, part 2 (this act) | 586 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 585 | 4 |
| Henry V | 451 | 3 |
| King John | 278 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Henry IV, part 2
How many lines are in Act 1 of Henry IV, part 2?
586 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Falstaff delivers 37% of the act’s dialogue (217 lines).