Act 5 of Richard II runs 565 lines across 6 scenes with 13 speaking characters — about 20.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Queen: “This way the king will come; this is the way”
Closes (Scene 6) — Henry Bolingbroke: “In weeping after this untimely bier.”
The 6 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 102 | 3 | 18.1% |
| Scene 2 | 128 | 3 | 22.7% |
| Scene 3 | 152 | 5 | 26.9% |
| Scene 4 | 12 | 2 | 2.1% |
| Scene 5 | 119 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Scene 6 | 52 | 5 | 9.2% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: King Richard Ii with 28% of Act 5’s dialogue (159 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Richard Ii ♂ | 159 | 28.1% |
| Duke Of York ♂ | 100 | 17.7% |
| Duchess Of York ♂ | 94 | 16.6% |
| Henry Bolingbroke ♂ | 89 | 15.8% |
| Queen ♀ | 32 | 5.7% |
| Duke Of Aumerle ♂ | 24 | 4.2% |
| Exton ♂ | 21 | 3.7% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Duchess Of York ♂ | 94 |
| Exton ♂ | 21 |
| Groom ♂ | 12 |
| Keeper ♂ | 5 |
Pacing across the 6 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 4 (12 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (152 lines, the longest), averaging about 94 lines per scene.
How Act 5 of Richard II compares to other histories
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | 653 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 569 | 5 |
| Richard II (this act) | 565 | 6 |
| King John | 537 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 536 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 520 | 5 |
| Henry V | 516 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 497 | 7 |
| Richard III | 482 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 343 | 3 |
About Act 5 of Richard II
How many lines are in Act 5 of Richard II?
565 lines spread across 6 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
King Richard Ii delivers 28% of the act’s dialogue (159 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 3, at 152 lines — well above the act’s scene average.