Act 5 of King John runs 537 lines across 7 scenes with 10 speaking characters — about 20.3% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — King John: “Thus have I yielded up into your hand”
Closes (Scene 7) — Bastard: “If England to itself do rest but true.”
The 7 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 81 | 3 | 15.1% |
| Scene 2 | 183 | 4 | 34.1% |
| Scene 3 | 17 | 3 | 3.2% |
| Scene 4 | 62 | 3 | 11.5% |
| Scene 5 | 23 | 2 | 4.3% |
| Scene 6 | 48 | 2 | 8.9% |
| Scene 7 | 123 | 5 | 22.9% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Bastard with 29% of Act 5’s dialogue (155 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Bastard ♂ | 155 | 28.9% |
| Lewis ♂ | 100 | 18.6% |
| Salisbury ♂ | 71 | 13.2% |
| King John ♂ | 63 | 11.7% |
| Melun ♂ | 39 | 7.3% |
| Prince Henry ♂ | 30 | 5.6% |
| Hubert ♂ | 29 | 5.4% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Melun ♂ | 39 |
| Prince Henry ♂ | 30 |
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 3 (17 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (183 lines, the longest), averaging about 77 lines per scene.
How Act 5 of King John compares to other histories
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | 653 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 569 | 5 |
| Richard II | 565 | 6 |
| King John (this act) | 537 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 536 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 520 | 5 |
| Henry V | 516 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 497 | 7 |
| Richard III | 482 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 343 | 3 |
About Act 5 of King John
How many lines are in Act 5 of King John?
537 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Bastard delivers 29% of the act’s dialogue (155 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 2, at 183 lines — well above the act’s scene average.