Act 3 of Henry VIII runs 737 lines across 2 scenes, carrying about 22.8% of the play’s total dialogue with 10 named speakers. It’s longer than the play’s average act (647 lines).
Act opens (Scene 1, Queen Katharine): “Take thy lute, wench: my soul grows sad with troubles;”
Act closes (Scene 2, Cardinal Wolsey): “The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell.”
The 2 scenes of Act 3
Who speaks in Act 3
The leading voice is Cardinal Wolsey with 36% of Act 3’s dialogue (269 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Wolsey ♂ | 269 | 36.5% |
| Queen Katharine ♀ | 136 | 18.5% |
| Surrey ♂ | 80 | 10.9% |
| Suffolk ♂ | 63 | 8.5% |
| King Henry Viii ♂ | 61 | 8.3% |
| Norfolk ♂ | 54 | 7.3% |
| Cromwell ♂ | 29 | 3.9% |
How Act 3 of Henry VIII compares to other historys
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VI, part 2 | 838 | 3 |
| Richard III | 836 | 7 |
| Henry VIII (this act) | 737 | 2 |
| Henry V | 700 | 8 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 654 | 2 |
| King John | 635 | 4 |
| Richard II | 590 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 581 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 492 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 424 | 2 |
About Act 3 of Henry VIII
How many lines are in Act 3 of Henry VIII?
737 lines spread across 2 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Cardinal Wolsey delivers 36% of the act’s dialogue (269 lines).