Comedy • c. 1599
As You Like It
5 Acts
22 Scenes
2,676 Lines
Comedy • c. 1595
Love’s Labours Lost
2,862Lines
5Acts
9Scenes
21Characters
80% / 20%Male / Female Lines
Written in Shakespeare’s early-period career (c. 1595), Love's Labours Lost is a comedy of 2,862 lines, 5 acts and 9 scenes with 21 speaking roles.
Opens (Act 1, Scene 1) — Ferdinand: “Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,”
Closes (Act 5, Scene 2) — Adriano De Armado: “Apollo. You that way: we this way.”
Full cast of Love's Labours Lost by line count
| # | Character | Lines | Share | Acts | Scenes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biron ♂ | 599 | 20.9% | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | Ferdinand ♂ | 315 | 11.0% | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Princess ♀ | 287 | 10.0% | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Adriano De Armado ♂ | 266 | 9.3% | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | Boyet ♂ | 233 | 8.1% | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Costard ♂ | 203 | 7.1% | 4 | 8 |
| 7 | Moth ♂ | 201 | 7.0% | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | Holofernes ♂ | 184 | 6.4% | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Rosaline ♀ | 172 | 6.0% | 3 | 3 |
| 10 | Dumain ♂ | 93 | 3.2% | 4 | 4 |
| 11 | Longaville ♂ | 69 | 2.4% | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | Sir Nathaniel ♂ | 67 | 2.3% | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | Katharine ♀ | 46 | 1.6% | 2 | 2 |
| 14 | Maria ♀ | 43 | 1.5% | 3 | 3 |
| 15 | Dull ♂ | 30 | 1.0% | 3 | 4 |
| 16 | Jaquenetta ♀ | 22 | 0.8% | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Here Stand I ♂ | 20 | 0.7% | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Forester ♂ | 5 | 0.2% | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Mercade ♂ | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | First Lord ♂ | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Armado ♂ | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | 1 |
Line counts act by act
| Act | Scenes | Lines | Speakers | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | 2 | 513 | 10 | |
| Act 2 | 1 | 269 | 10 | |
| Act 3 | 1 | 223 | 4 | |
| Act 4 | 3 | 731 | 14 | |
| Act 5 | 2 | 1,126 | 17 |
How male and female voices share Act 1 through Act 5
| Act | Male lines | Female lines | Female share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | 502 | 11 | 2% | |
| Act 2 | 144 | 125 | 46% | |
| Act 3 | 223 | 0 | 0% | |
| Act 4 | 655 | 76 | 10% | |
| Act 5 | 768 | 358 | 32% |
Female voices peak in Act 2 (46% of the act’s dialogue) and are quietest in Act 3 (0%).
When each speaker first enters
- Act 1 — 10 new speakers enter: Biron, Ferdinand, Adriano De Armado, Costard, Moth, Dumain, Longaville, Dull, Jaquenetta, Armado
- Act 2 — 6 new speakers enter: Princess, Boyet, Rosaline, Katharine, Maria, First Lord
- Act 4 — 3 new speakers enter: Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, Forester
- Act 5 — 2 new speakers enter: Here Stand I, Mercade
Line-length signature
Of 2,862 total lines: 99% short (under 60 characters, typical of quickfire exchanges), 1% mid-length (60–180 characters), and 0% extended (over 180 characters). That makes this a fast-cut play — the text is dominated by brief exchanges and retorts.
Longest scenes in Love's Labours Lost
| Scene | Lines | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Act 5, Scene 2 | 971 | 16 |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | 396 | 6 |
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 301 | 6 |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 269 | 10 |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 223 | 4 |
How Love's Labours Lost compares to Shakespeare’s other comedies
| Play | Year | Lines | Acts | Scenes | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love's Labours Lost (this play) | c. 1595 | 2,862 | 5 | 9 | 21 |
| As You Like It | c. 1599 | 2,676 | 5 | 22 | 27 |
| The Merchant of Venice | c. 1597 | 2,665 | 5 | 19 | 23 |
| Taming of the Shrew | c. 1592 | 2,637 | 5 | 14 | 37 |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | c. 1601 | 2,615 | 5 | 23 | 25 |
Common questions
How long is Love’s Labours Lost?
2,862 lines of dialogue across 5 acts and 9 scenes — roughly 318 lines per scene.
Who speaks the most in Love’s Labours Lost?
Biron with 599 lines — about 21% of the play.
Which act of Love’s Labours Lost is longest?
Act 5 runs 1,126 lines across 2 scenes — noticeably heavier than the play’s other acts.
Which female character has the most lines in Love’s Labours Lost?
Princess with 287 lines — about 10% of the play’s dialogue.