Act 3 of Henry VI, part 3 runs 581 lines across 3 scenes with 15 speaking characters — about 19.8% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — First Keeper: “Under this thick-grown brake we'll shroud ourselves;”
Closes (Scene 3) — Warwick: “But seek revenge on Edward's mockery.”
The 3 scenes of Act 3
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Gloucester with 18% of Act 3’s dialogue (102 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gloucester ♂ | 102 | 17.6% |
| Warwick ♂ | 91 | 15.7% |
| Queen Margaret ♀ | 73 | 12.6% |
| King Henry Vi ♂ | 69 | 11.9% |
| King Lewis Xi ♂ | 67 | 11.5% |
| King Edward Iv ♂ | 57 | 9.8% |
| Lady Grey ♀ | 36 | 6.2% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| King Edward Iv ♂ | 298 |
| Gloucester ♂ | 244 |
| Clarence ♂ | 90 |
| King Lewis Xi ♂ | 67 |
| Lady Grey ♀ | 36 |
| Oxford ♂ | 35 |
| Post ♂ | 30 |
| First Keeper ♂ | 18 |
| Second Keeper ♂ | 14 |
| Bona ♀ | 9 |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 1 (101 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (269 lines, the longest), averaging about 194 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Act 3 reflects the play’s overall balance — 20% female dialogue (play average: 12%).
Act 3
Male 463 · Female 118
How Act 3 of Henry VI, part 3 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VI, part 2 | 838 | 3 |
| Richard III | 836 | 7 |
| Henry VIII | 737 | 2 |
| Henry V | 700 | 8 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 654 | 2 |
| King John | 635 | 4 |
| Richard II | 590 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 (this act) | 581 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 492 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 424 | 2 |