Act 5 of Henry VI, part 1 runs 569 lines across 5 scenes with 17 speaking characters — about 20.6% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — King Henry Vi: “Have you perused the letters from the pope,”
Closes (Scene 5) — Suffolk: “But I will rule both her, the king and realm.”
The 5 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 63 | 5 | 11.1% |
| Scene 2 | 21 | 5 | 3.7% |
| Scene 3 | 200 | 6 | 35.1% |
| Scene 4 | 177 | 8 | 31.1% |
| Scene 5 | 108 | 4 | 19.0% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Suffolk with 28% of Act 5’s dialogue (157 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk ♂ | 157 | 27.6% |
| Joan La Pucelle ♀ | 79 | 13.9% |
| King Henry Vi ♂ | 61 | 10.7% |
| York ♂ | 59 | 10.4% |
| Margaret ♀ | 33 | 5.8% |
| Gloucester ♂ | 29 | 5.1% |
| Of Winchester ♂ | 29 | 5.1% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 2 (21 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (200 lines, the longest), averaging about 114 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 5
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 5 — 20% of this act’s dialogue vs. 10% across the full play.
Act 5
Male 457 · Female 112
How Act 5 of Henry VI, part 1 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | 653 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 (this act) | 569 | 5 |
| Richard II | 565 | 6 |
| King John | 537 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 536 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 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 VI, part 1
How many lines are in Act 5 of Henry VI, part 1?
569 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Suffolk delivers 28% of the act’s dialogue (157 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 3, at 200 lines — well above the act’s scene average.