Act 4 of Macbeth runs 548 lines across 3 scenes with 18 speaking characters — about 23.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — First Witch: “Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.”
Closes (Scene 3) — Malcolm: “The night is long that never finds the day.”
The 3 scenes of Act 4
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Malcolm with 26% of Act 4’s dialogue (143 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm ♂ | 143 | 26.1% |
| Macduff ♂ | 92 | 16.8% |
| Macbeth ♂ | 78 | 14.2% |
| Ross ♂ | 61 | 11.1% |
| Lady Macduff ♀ | 41 | 7.5% |
| First Witch ♀ | 27 | 4.9% |
| Son ♂ | 20 | 3.6% |
Characters first heard in Act 4
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Doctor ♂ | 45 |
| Lady Macduff ♀ | 41 |
| Son ♂ | 20 |
| Third Apparition ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 2 (94 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (281 lines, the longest), averaging about 183 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of Macbeth compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 763 | 7 |
| Coriolanus | 707 | 7 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 695 | 15 |
| Hamlet | 693 | 7 |
| Othello | 691 | 3 |
| Timon of Athens | 626 | 3 |
| Macbeth (this act) | 548 | 3 |
| Titus Andronicus | 547 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 461 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 407 | 5 |
About Act 4 of Macbeth
How many lines are in Act 4 of Macbeth?
548 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
Malcolm delivers 26% of the act’s dialogue (143 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 3, at 281 lines — well above the act’s scene average.