Act 2 of Richard II runs 649 lines across 4 scenes with 16 speaking characters — about 23.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — John Of Gaunt: “Will the king come, that I may breathe my last”
Closes (Scene 4) — Earl Of Salisbury: “And crossly to thy good all fortune goes.”
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 301 | 7 | 46.4% |
| Scene 2 | 152 | 6 | 23.4% |
| Scene 3 | 172 | 7 | 26.5% |
| Scene 4 | 24 | 2 | 3.7% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Duke Of York with 25% of Act 2’s dialogue (164 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Of York ♂ | 164 | 25.3% |
| John Of Gaunt ♂ | 105 | 16.2% |
| Northumberland ♂ | 85 | 13.1% |
| Henry Bolingbroke ♂ | 55 | 8.5% |
| King Richard Ii ♂ | 41 | 6.3% |
| Queen ♀ | 40 | 6.2% |
| Bushy ♂ | 33 | 5.1% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Duke Of York ♂ | 290 |
| Northumberland ♂ | 142 |
| Queen ♀ | 115 |
| Henry Percy ♂ | 45 |
| Lord Ross ♂ | 22 |
| Bagot ♂ | 22 |
| Earl Of Salisbury ♂ | 20 |
| Servant ♂ | 17 |
| Captain ♂ | 15 |
| Lord Willoughby ♂ | 12 |
| Lord Berkeley ♂ | 8 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 4 (24 lines, the shortest) to Scene 1 (301 lines, the longest), averaging about 162 lines per scene.
How Act 2 of Richard II compares to other histories
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry IV, part 1 | 850 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 786 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 752 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 705 | 6 |
| Richard II (this act) | 649 | 4 |
| King John | 609 | 1 |
| Henry V | 566 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 530 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 509 | 4 |
| Richard III | 425 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Richard II
How many lines are in Act 2 of Richard II?
649 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Duke Of York delivers 25% of the act’s dialogue (164 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 1, at 301 lines — well above the act’s scene average.