Act 3 of Othello runs 826 lines across 4 scenes with 9 speaking characters — about 23.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Cassio: “Masters, play here; I will content your pains;”
Closes (Scene 4) — Bianca: “'Tis very good; I must be circumstanced.”
Who carries the voice in Act 3
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 3 — 28% of this act’s dialogue vs. 19% across the full play.
Act 3
Male 598 · Female 228
The 4 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 62 | 5 | 7.5% |
| Scene 2 | 7 | 3 | 0.8% |
| Scene 3 | 533 | 5 | 64.5% |
| Scene 4 | 224 | 7 | 27.1% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Othello with 31% of Act 3’s dialogue (259 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Othello ♂ | 259 | 31.4% |
| Iago ♂ | 234 | 28.3% |
| Desdemona ♀ | 151 | 18.3% |
| Cassio ♂ | 72 | 8.7% |
| Emilia ♀ | 60 | 7.3% |
| Clown ♂ | 27 | 3.3% |
| Bianca ♀ | 17 | 2.1% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Bianca ♀ | 34 |
| Clown ♂ | 27 |
| First Musician ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 2 (7 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (533 lines, the longest), averaging about 207 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of Othello compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 930 | 4 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 885 | 13 |
| Othello (this act) | 826 | 4 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 821 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 764 | 3 |
| Julius Caesar | 633 | 3 |
| King Lear | 630 | 7 |
| Timon of Athens | 577 | 6 |
| Macbeth | 509 | 6 |
| Titus Andronicus | 388 | 2 |
About Act 3 of Othello
How many lines are in Act 3 of Othello?
826 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Othello delivers 31% of the act’s dialogue (259 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 3, at 533 lines — well above the act’s scene average.