Act 5 of Macbeth runs 398 lines across 8 scenes with 18 speaking characters — about 16.7% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Doctor: “I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive”
Closes (Scene 8) — Malcolm: “Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.”
The 8 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 74 | 3 | 18.6% |
| Scene 2 | 37 | 4 | 9.3% |
| Scene 3 | 71 | 4 | 17.8% |
| Scene 4 | 27 | 5 | 6.8% |
| Scene 5 | 57 | 3 | 14.3% |
| Scene 6 | 11 | 3 | 2.8% |
| Scene 7 | 35 | 5 | 8.8% |
| Scene 8 | 86 | 6 | 21.6% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Macbeth with 35% of Act 5’s dialogue (138 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Macbeth ♂ | 138 | 34.7% |
| Doctor ♂ | 40 | 10.1% |
| Malcolm ♂ | 39 | 9.8% |
| Macduff ♂ | 34 | 8.5% |
| Siward ♂ | 30 | 7.5% |
| Gentlewoman ♀ | 23 | 5.8% |
| Lady Macbeth ♀ | 20 | 5.0% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Siward ♂ | 30 |
| Gentlewoman ♀ | 23 |
| Menteith ♂ | 12 |
| Caithness ♂ | 11 |
| Young Siward ♂ | 7 |
| Seyton ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 8 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 6 (11 lines, the shortest) to Scene 8 (86 lines, the longest), averaging about 50 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 5
Act 5 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 11%, compared to 20% overall.
Act 5
Male 355 · Female 43
How Act 5 of Macbeth compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 731 | 2 |
| Coriolanus | 686 | 6 |
| Titus Andronicus | 578 | 3 |
| Othello | 567 | 2 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 520 | 2 |
| King Lear | 477 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 441 | 3 |
| Macbeth (this act) | 398 | 8 |
| Timon of Athens | 381 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 379 | 5 |
About Act 5 of Macbeth
How many lines are in Act 5 of Macbeth?
398 lines spread across 8 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Macbeth delivers 35% of the act’s dialogue (138 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 8, at 86 lines — well above the act’s scene average.