Act 2 of Henry V runs 566 lines across 5 scenes with 17 speaking characters — about 17.5% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 0) — Chorus: “Now all the youth of England are on fire,”
Closes (Scene 4) — King Of France: “To answer matters of this consequence.”
The 5 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 0 | 42 | 1 | 7.4% |
| Scene 1 | 118 | 5 | 20.8% |
| Scene 2 | 195 | 7 | 34.5% |
| Scene 3 | 60 | 5 | 10.6% |
| Scene 4 | 151 | 5 | 26.7% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: King Henry V with 24% of Act 2’s dialogue (137 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Henry V ♂ | 137 | 24.2% |
| Exeter ♂ | 68 | 12.0% |
| Pistol ♂ | 57 | 10.1% |
| King Of France ♂ | 42 | 7.4% |
| Chorus ♂ | 42 | 7.4% |
| Nym ♂ | 41 | 7.2% |
| Hostess ♀ | 41 | 7.2% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Pistol ♂ | 159 |
| Dauphin ♂ | 115 |
| Constable ♂ | 115 |
| King Of France ♂ | 79 |
| Boy ♂ | 72 |
| Nym ♂ | 46 |
| Hostess ♀ | 41 |
| Bardolph ♂ | 29 |
| Cambridge ♂ | 15 |
| Grey ♂ | 13 |
| Scroop ♂ | 13 |
| Bedford ♂ | 7 |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 0 (42 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (195 lines, the longest), averaging about 113 lines per scene.
How Act 2 of Henry V compares to other histories
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry IV, part 1 | 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 (this act) | 566 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 530 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 509 | 4 |
| Richard III | 425 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Henry V
How many lines are in Act 2 of Henry V?
566 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
King Henry V delivers 24% of the act’s dialogue (137 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 2, at 195 lines — well above the act’s scene average.