Act 2 of Julius Caesar runs 552 lines across 4 scenes with 17 speaking characters — about 21.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Brutus: “I cannot, by the progress of the stars,”
Closes (Scene 4) — Portia: “And bring me word what he doth say to thee.”
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 350 | 10 | 63.4% |
| Scene 2 | 137 | 8 | 24.8% |
| Scene 3 | 15 | 1 | 2.7% |
| Scene 4 | 50 | 3 | 9.1% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Brutus with 33% of Act 2’s dialogue (184 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Brutus ♂ | 184 | 33.3% |
| Portia ♀ | 92 | 16.7% |
| Caesar ♂ | 73 | 13.2% |
| Cassius ♂ | 37 | 6.7% |
| Decius Brutus ♂ | 37 | 6.7% |
| Calpurnia ♀ | 26 | 4.7% |
| Lucius ♂ | 23 | 4.2% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Portia ♀ | 92 |
| Decius Brutus ♂ | 44 |
| Lucius ♂ | 33 |
| Servant ♂ | 30 |
| Artemidorus ♂ | 19 |
| Metellus Cimber ♂ | 17 |
| Ligarius ♂ | 15 |
| Trebonius ♂ | 9 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 3 (15 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (350 lines, the longest), averaging about 138 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 2 — 21% of this act’s dialogue vs. 5% across the full play.
Act 2
Male 434 · Female 118
How Act 2 of Julius Caesar compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Antony and Cleopatra | 883 | 7 |
| Coriolanus | 762 | 3 |
| Hamlet | 748 | 2 |
| Othello | 735 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 685 | 7 |
| King Lear | 678 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar (this act) | 552 | 4 |
| Titus Andronicus | 538 | 4 |
| Macbeth | 396 | 4 |
| Timon of Athens | 291 | 2 |
About Act 2 of Julius Caesar
How many lines are in Act 2 of Julius Caesar?
552 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Brutus delivers 33% of the act’s dialogue (184 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 1, at 350 lines — well above the act’s scene average.