Act 4 of King Lear runs 763 lines across 7 scenes with 14 speaking characters — about 21.8% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Edgar: “Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd,”
Closes (Scene 7) — Kent: “Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.”
The 7 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 90 | 3 | 11.8% |
| Scene 2 | 111 | 5 | 14.5% |
| Scene 3 | 62 | 2 | 8.1% |
| Scene 4 | 32 | 3 | 4.2% |
| Scene 5 | 45 | 2 | 5.9% |
| Scene 6 | 314 | 5 | 41.2% |
| Scene 7 | 109 | 5 | 14.3% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Edgar with 20% of Act 4’s dialogue (149 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Edgar ♂ | 149 | 19.5% |
| King Lear ♂ | 136 | 17.8% |
| Gloucester ♂ | 108 | 14.2% |
| Cordelia ♀ | 66 | 8.7% |
| Gentleman ♂ | 57 | 7.5% |
| Kent ♂ | 44 | 5.8% |
| Albany ♂ | 43 | 5.6% |
Characters first heard in Act 4
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 4 (32 lines, the shortest) to Scene 6 (314 lines, the longest), averaging about 109 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of King Lear compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear (this act) | 763 | 7 |
| Coriolanus | 707 | 7 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 695 | 15 |
| Hamlet | 693 | 7 |
| Othello | 691 | 3 |
| Timon of Athens | 626 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 548 | 3 |
| Titus Andronicus | 547 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 461 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 407 | 5 |
About Act 4 of King Lear
How many lines are in Act 4 of King Lear?
763 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
Edgar delivers 20% of the act’s dialogue (149 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 6, at 314 lines — well above the act’s scene average.