Act 2 of Henry VI, part 1 runs 530 lines across 5 scenes with 24 speaking characters — about 19.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Sergeant: “Sirs, take your places and be vigilant:”
Closes (Scene 5) — Plantagenet: “Or make my ill the advantage of my good.”
The 5 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 85 | 12 | 16.0% |
| Scene 2 | 61 | 5 | 11.5% |
| Scene 3 | 97 | 4 | 18.3% |
| Scene 4 | 151 | 6 | 28.5% |
| Scene 5 | 136 | 3 | 25.7% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Mortimer with 18% of Act 2’s dialogue (95 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mortimer ♂ | 95 | 17.9% |
| Talbot ♂ | 91 | 17.2% |
| Plantagenet ♂ | 82 | 15.5% |
| Somerset ♂ | 46 | 8.7% |
| Of Auvergne ♂ | 45 | 8.5% |
| Warwick ♂ | 30 | 5.7% |
| Burgundy ♂ | 18 | 3.4% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Suffolk ♂ | 170 |
| Mortimer ♂ | 95 |
| Plantagenet ♂ | 91 |
| Warwick ♂ | 79 |
| Somerset ♂ | 73 |
| Of Auvergne ♂ | 45 |
| Burgundy ♂ | 44 |
| Vernon ♂ | 29 |
| Captain ♂ | 6 |
| Lawyer ♂ | 6 |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 2 (61 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (151 lines, the longest), averaging about 106 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Act 2 reflects the play’s overall balance — 2% female dialogue (play average: 10%).
Act 2
Male 518 · Female 12
How Act 2 of Henry VI, part 1 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 | 566 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 (this act) | 530 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 509 | 4 |
| Richard III | 425 | 4 |