Act 1 of Julius Caesar belongs to Cassius, who delivers 42% of the act’s dialogue (239 of 574 lines) across 3 scenes.
Opens (Scene 1) — Flavius: “Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home:”
Closes (Scene 3) — Cassius: “We will awake him and be sure of him.”
The 3 scenes of Act 1
Who speaks in Act 1
Leading voice: Cassius with 42% of Act 1’s dialogue (239 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cassius ♂ | 239 | 41.6% |
| Casca ♂ | 121 | 21.1% |
| Brutus ♂ | 73 | 12.7% |
| Caesar ♂ | 39 | 6.8% |
| Marullus ♂ | 31 | 5.4% |
| Flavius ♂ | 24 | 4.2% |
| Second Commoner ♂ | 16 | 2.8% |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 1 (74 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (329 lines, the longest), averaging about 191 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 1
Act 1 reflects the play’s overall balance — 0% female dialogue (play average: 5%).
Act 1
Male 573 · Female 1
How Act 1 of Julius Caesar compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 951 | 5 |
| Hamlet | 921 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 842 | 10 |
| Othello | 739 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 725 | 5 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 582 | 5 |
| Timon of Athens | 576 | 2 |
| Julius Caesar (this act) | 574 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 534 | 7 |
| Titus Andronicus | 502 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Julius Caesar
How many lines are in Act 1 of Julius Caesar?
574 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Cassius delivers 42% of the act’s dialogue (239 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 1?
Scene 2, at 329 lines — well above the act’s scene average.