Act 1 is the play’s heaviest act — 1,080 lines across 4 scenes, against a play-wide average of about 740 lines per act, with 18 speaking characters.
Opens (Scene 1) — Gloucester: “Now is the winter of our discontent”
Closes (Scene 4) — First Murderer: “For this will out, and here I must not stay.”
Who carries the voice in Act 1
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 1 — 27% of this act’s dialogue vs. 18% across the full play.
Act 1
Male 786 · Female 294
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
Leading voice: 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% |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 1 range from Scene 1 (165 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (362 lines, the longest), averaging about 270 lines per scene.
How Act 1 of Richard III compares to other histories
| 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).