Act 4 of Othello runs 691 lines across 3 scenes with 8 speaking characters — about 19.4% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Iago: “Or to be naked with her friend in bed”
Closes (Scene 3) — Desdemona: “Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend!”
Who carries the voice in Act 4
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 4 — 34% of this act’s dialogue vs. 19% across the full play.
Act 4
Male 454 · Female 237
The 3 scenes of Act 4
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Iago with 28% of Act 4’s dialogue (192 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Iago ♂ | 192 | 27.8% |
| Othello ♂ | 177 | 25.6% |
| Desdemona ♀ | 136 | 19.7% |
| Emilia ♀ | 91 | 13.2% |
| Roderigo ♂ | 31 | 4.5% |
| Cassio ♂ | 27 | 3.9% |
| Lodovico ♂ | 27 | 3.9% |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 3 (112 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (310 lines, the longest), averaging about 230 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of Othello 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 (this act) | 691 | 3 |
| Timon of Athens | 626 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 548 | 3 |
| Titus Andronicus | 547 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 461 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 407 | 5 |
About Act 4 of Othello
How many lines are in Act 4 of Othello?
691 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
Iago delivers 28% of the act’s dialogue (192 lines).