Act 4 of Henry VI, part 2 runs 762 lines across 10 scenes with 27 speaking characters — about 24.4% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Captain: “The gaudy, blabbing and remorseful day”
Closes (Scene 10) — Iden: “Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon.”
The 10 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 151 | 6 | 19.8% |
| Scene 2 | 178 | 10 | 23.4% |
| Scene 3 | 18 | 2 | 2.4% |
| Scene 4 | 60 | 5 | 7.9% |
| Scene 5 | 12 | 2 | 1.6% |
| Scene 6 | 15 | 4 | 2.0% |
| Scene 7 | 127 | 8 | 16.7% |
| Scene 8 | 68 | 4 | 8.9% |
| Scene 9 | 49 | 6 | 6.4% |
| Scene 10 | 84 | 2 | 11.0% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Cade with 32% of Act 4’s dialogue (242 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cade ♂ | 242 | 31.8% |
| Captain ♂ | 64 | 8.4% |
| Suffolk ♂ | 58 | 7.6% |
| King Henry Vi ♂ | 48 | 6.3% |
| Say ♂ | 48 | 6.3% |
| Iden ♂ | 42 | 5.5% |
| Dick ♂ | 36 | 4.7% |
Characters first heard in Act 4
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Cade ♂ | 242 |
| Captain ♂ | 64 |
| Clifford ♂ | 56 |
| Iden ♂ | 51 |
| Say ♂ | 48 |
| Dick ♂ | 36 |
| Whitmore ♂ | 19 |
| Holland ♂ | 18 |
| Sir Humphrey ♂ | 16 |
| Smith ♂ | 15 |
| Bevis ♂ | 14 |
| Scales ♂ | 8 |
Pacing across the 10 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 5 (12 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (178 lines, the longest), averaging about 76 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 4
Act 4 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 2%, compared to 15% overall.
Act 4
Male 748 · Female 14
How Act 4 of Henry VI, part 2 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry V | 997 | 9 |
| Richard III | 879 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 878 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 (this act) | 762 | 10 |
| King John | 589 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 563 | 8 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 559 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 387 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 362 | 2 |
| Richard II | 340 | 1 |
About Act 4 of Henry VI, part 2
How many lines are in Act 4 of Henry VI, part 2?
762 lines spread across 10 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
Cade delivers 32% of the act’s dialogue (242 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 2, at 178 lines — well above the act’s scene average.