Mitarai Digital Folio
History • c. 1591

Henry VI, part 3

2,931Lines 5Acts 28Scenes 46Characters 88% / 12%Male / Female Lines

Henry VI, part 3 (c. 1591) fields a crowded stage: 46 named speakers share 2,931 lines across 5 acts and 28 scenes.

Opens (Act 1, Scene 1) — Warwick: “I wonder how the king escaped our hands.”

Closes (Act 5, Scene 7) — King Edward Iv: “For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy.”

Full cast of Henry VI, part 3 by line count

# Character Lines Share Acts Scenes
1 Warwick ♂ 435 14.8% 5 12
2 King Henry Vi ♂ 363 12.4% 5 7
3 King Edward Iv ♂ 298 10.2% 3 12
4 Queen Margaret ♀ 279 9.5% 4 7
5 Gloucester ♂ 244 8.3% 3 10
6 York ♂ 171 5.8% 1 3
7 Richard ♂ 155 5.3% 2 7
8 Clifford ♂ 140 4.8% 2 6
9 Edward ♂ 131 4.5% 3 7
10 Clarence ♂ 90 3.1% 3 9
11 King Lewis Xi ♂ 67 2.3% 1 1
12 Prince Edward ♂ 43 1.5% 4 6
13 Somerset ♂ 38 1.3% 2 7
14 Queen Elizabeth ♀ 37 1.3% 2 3
15 Messenger ♂ 36 1.2% 3 4
16 Lady Grey ♀ 36 1.2% 1 1
17 Oxford ♂ 35 1.2% 3 8
18 Montague ♂ 32 1.1% 3 6
19 Northumberland ♂ 30 1.0% 2 3
20 Post ♂ 30 1.0% 2 3
21 Father ♂ 27 0.9% 1 1
22 Rutland ♂ 24 0.8% 1 1
23 Son ♂ 22 0.8% 1 1
24 George ♂ 21 0.7% 1 3
25 Hastings ♂ 20 0.7% 1 3
…21 additional speaking roles with fewer than 20 lines

Line counts act by act

Act Scenes Lines Speakers Density
Act 1 4 585 17
Act 2 6 705 14
Act 3 3 581 15
Act 4 8 563 21
Act 5 7 497 15

When each speaker first enters

  • Act 1 — 17 new speakers enter: Warwick, King Henry Vi, Queen Margaret, York, Richard, Clifford, Edward, Prince Edward, Messenger, Montague (+7 more)
  • Act 2 — 4 new speakers enter: Father, Son, George, Prince
  • Act 3 — 11 new speakers enter: King Edward Iv, Gloucester, Clarence, King Lewis Xi, Lady Grey, Oxford, Post, First Keeper, Second Keeper, Bona (+1 more)
  • Act 4 — 12 new speakers enter: Somerset, Queen Elizabeth, Hastings, Third Watchman, First Watchman, Second Watchman, Rivers, Mayor, Lieutenant, Huntsman (+2 more)
  • Act 5 — 2 new speakers enter: First Messenger, Second Messenger

How male and female voices share Act 1 through Act 5

Act Male lines Female lines Female share Balance
Act 1 490 95 16%
Act 2 677 28 4%
Act 3 463 118 20%
Act 4 527 36 6%
Act 5 413 84 17%

Female voices peak in Act 3 (20% of the act’s dialogue) and are quietest in Act 2 (4%).

Scene length across the play

Across 28 scenes: 6 very short (under 50 lines), 15 short (50–149 lines), 7 mid-length (150–299 lines).

The shortest scene runs 13 lines, the longest 276 lines, with a mean of about 105 lines per scene.

Line-length signature

Of 2,931 total lines: 100% short (under 60 characters, typical of quickfire exchanges), 0% mid-length (60–180 characters), and 0% extended (over 180 characters). That makes this a fast-cut play — the text is dominated by brief exchanges and retorts.

Longest scenes in Henry VI, part 3

Scene Lines Speakers
Act 1, Scene 1 276 13
Act 3, Scene 3 269 7
Act 3, Scene 2 211 5
Act 2, Scene 1 209 4
Act 1, Scene 4 181 4

How Henry VI, part 3 compares to Shakespeare’s other histories

Play Year Lines Acts Scenes Speakers
Henry VI, part 3 (this play) c. 1591 2,931 5 28 46
Henry IV, part 1 c. 1597 3,038 5 18 36
Richard II c. 1595 2,800 5 19 35
Henry VI, part 1 c. 1592 2,761 5 27 52
Henry VI, part 2 c. 1591 3,122 5 24 64

Common questions

How long is Henry VI, part 3?

2,931 lines of dialogue across 5 acts and 28 scenes — roughly 105 lines per scene.

Who speaks the most in Henry VI, part 3?

Warwick with 435 lines — about 15% of the play.
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