Act 1 of Richard III runs 1,080 lines across 4 scenes, carrying about 29.2% of the play’s total dialogue with 18 named speakers. It’s longer than the play’s average act (740 lines).
Act opens (Scene 1, Gloucester): “Now is the winter of our discontent”
Act closes (Scene 4, First Murderer): “For this will out, and here I must not stay.”
The 4 scenes of Act 1
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 165 | 4 | 15.3% |
| Scene 2 | 277 | 4 | 25.6% |
| Scene 3 | 362 | 11 | 33.5% |
| Scene 4 | 276 | 5 | 25.6% |
Who speaks in Act 1
The leading voice is Gloucester with 38% of Act 1’s dialogue (407 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gloucester ♂ | 407 | 37.7% |
| Clarence ♂ | 163 | 15.1% |
| Queen Margaret ♀ | 124 | 11.5% |
| Lady Anne ♀ | 119 | 11.0% |
| Second Murderer ♂ | 58 | 5.4% |
| First Murderer ♂ | 56 | 5.2% |
| Queen Elizabeth ♀ | 51 | 4.7% |
How Act 1 of Richard III compares to other historys
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Richard III (this act) | 1,080 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 732 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 670 | 4 |
| Richard II | 656 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 627 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 611 | 6 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 586 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 585 | 4 |
| Henry V | 451 | 3 |
| King John | 278 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Richard III
How many lines are in Act 1 of Richard III?
1,080 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Gloucester delivers 38% of the act’s dialogue (407 lines).