Act 2 is one of the play’s shorter acts — 425 lines across just 4 scenes, well below the play-wide average of about 740 lines per act.
Opens (Scene 1) — King Edward Iv: “Why, so: now have I done a good day's work:”
Closes (Scene 4) — Archbishop Of York: “Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.”
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 142 | 8 | 33.4% |
| Scene 2 | 155 | 10 | 36.5% |
| Scene 3 | 49 | 3 | 11.5% |
| Scene 4 | 79 | 5 | 18.6% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Duchess Of York with 16% of Act 2’s dialogue (70 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Duchess Of York ♂ | 70 | 16.5% |
| King Edward Iv ♂ | 65 | 15.3% |
| Gloucester ♂ | 60 | 14.1% |
| Queen Elizabeth ♀ | 43 | 10.1% |
| Buckingham ♂ | 37 | 8.7% |
| Third Citizen ♂ | 28 | 6.6% |
| Boy ♂ | 18 | 4.2% |
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Act 2 reflects the play’s overall balance — 12% female dialogue (play average: 18%).
Act 2
Male 376 · Female 49
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Duchess Of York ♂ | 142 |
| King Edward Iv ♂ | 65 |
| York ♂ | 40 |
| Messenger ♂ | 30 |
| Third Citizen ♂ | 28 |
| Boy ♂ | 18 |
| Second Citizen ♂ | 13 |
| Archbishop Of York ♂ | 12 |
| First Citizen ♂ | 8 |
| Girl ♀ | 6 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 3 (49 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (155 lines, the longest), averaging about 106 lines per scene.