Act 3 of Macbeth belongs to Macbeth, who delivers 52% of the act’s dialogue (265 of 509 lines) across 6 scenes.
Opens (Scene 1) — Banquo: “Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,”
Closes (Scene 6) — Lord: “I'll send my prayers with him.”
The 6 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 156 | 7 | 30.6% |
| Scene 2 | 62 | 3 | 12.2% |
| Scene 3 | 32 | 4 | 6.3% |
| Scene 4 | 168 | 6 | 33.0% |
| Scene 5 | 36 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Scene 6 | 55 | 2 | 10.8% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Macbeth with 52% of Act 3’s dialogue (265 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Macbeth ♂ | 265 | 52.1% |
| Lady Macbeth ♀ | 61 | 12.0% |
| Lennox ♂ | 39 | 7.7% |
| Hecate ♀ | 34 | 6.7% |
| First Murderer ♂ | 26 | 5.1% |
| Banquo ♂ | 25 | 4.9% |
| Lord ♂ | 21 | 4.1% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Hecate ♀ | 39 |
| First Murderer ♂ | 30 |
| Lord ♂ | 21 |
| Second Murderer ♂ | 15 |
| Third Murderer ♂ | 8 |
| Servant ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 6 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 3 (32 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (168 lines, the longest), averaging about 85 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of Macbeth compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 930 | 4 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 885 | 13 |
| Othello | 826 | 4 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 821 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 764 | 3 |
| Julius Caesar | 633 | 3 |
| King Lear | 630 | 7 |
| Timon of Athens | 577 | 6 |
| Macbeth (this act) | 509 | 6 |
| Titus Andronicus | 388 | 2 |
About Act 3 of Macbeth
How many lines are in Act 3 of Macbeth?
509 lines spread across 6 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Macbeth delivers 52% of the act’s dialogue (265 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 4, at 168 lines — well above the act’s scene average.