Act 1 of Henry VI, part 1 runs 611 lines across 6 scenes with 20 speaking characters — about 22.1% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Bedford: “Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!”
Closes (Scene 6) — Charles: “After this golden day of victory.”
The 6 scenes of Act 1
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 181 | 5 | 29.6% |
| Scene 2 | 152 | 5 | 24.9% |
| Scene 3 | 99 | 7 | 16.2% |
| Scene 4 | 109 | 6 | 17.8% |
| Scene 5 | 39 | 2 | 6.4% |
| Scene 6 | 31 | 4 | 5.1% |
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Talbot with 16% of Act 1’s dialogue (99 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Talbot ♂ | 99 | 16.2% |
| Gloucester ♂ | 77 | 12.6% |
| Messenger ♂ | 75 | 12.3% |
| Charles ♂ | 71 | 11.6% |
| Joan La Pucelle ♀ | 61 | 10.0% |
| Bedford ♂ | 46 | 7.5% |
| Of Winchester ♂ | 34 | 5.6% |
Pacing across the 6 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 6 (31 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (181 lines, the longest), averaging about 102 lines per scene.
How Act 1 of Henry VI, part 1 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 (this act) | 611 | 6 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 586 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 585 | 4 |
| Henry V | 451 | 3 |
| King John | 278 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Henry VI, part 1
How many lines are in Act 1 of Henry VI, part 1?
611 lines spread across 6 scenes.
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 1?
Scene 1, at 181 lines — well above the act’s scene average.