Act 3 of Richard III runs 836 lines across 7 scenes with 23 speaking characters — about 22.6% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Buckingham: “Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber.”
Closes (Scene 7) — Gloucester: “Farewell, good cousin; farewell, gentle friends.”
The 7 scenes of Act 3
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 202 | 8 | 24.2% |
| Scene 2 | 125 | 8 | 15.0% |
| Scene 3 | 25 | 4 | 3.0% |
| Scene 4 | 111 | 7 | 13.3% |
| Scene 5 | 109 | 4 | 13.0% |
| Scene 6 | 14 | 1 | 1.7% |
| Scene 7 | 250 | 6 | 29.9% |
Who speaks in Act 3
Leading voice: Buckingham with 31% of Act 3’s dialogue (260 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Buckingham ♂ | 260 | 31.1% |
| Gloucester ♂ | 231 | 27.6% |
| Hastings ♂ | 125 | 15.0% |
| Prince Edward ♂ | 43 | 5.1% |
| Catesby ♂ | 35 | 4.2% |
| York ♂ | 23 | 2.8% |
| Rivers ♂ | 17 | 2.0% |
Characters first heard in Act 3
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Prince Edward ♂ | 43 |
| Ratcliff ♂ | 30 |
| Stanley ♂ | 30 |
| Lord Mayor ♂ | 17 |
| Lord Stanley ♂ | 14 |
| Scrivener ♂ | 14 |
| Cardinal ♂ | 9 |
| Bishop Of Ely ♂ | 7 |
Pacing across the 7 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 3 range from Scene 6 (14 lines, the shortest) to Scene 7 (250 lines, the longest), averaging about 119 lines per scene.
How Act 3 of Richard III compares to other histories
| Play | Act 3 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VI, part 2 | 838 | 3 |
| Richard III (this act) | 836 | 7 |
| Henry VIII | 737 | 2 |
| Henry V | 700 | 8 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 654 | 2 |
| King John | 635 | 4 |
| Richard II | 590 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 581 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 492 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 424 | 2 |
About Act 3 of Richard III
How many lines are in Act 3 of Richard III?
836 lines spread across 7 scenes.
Who dominates Act 3?
Buckingham delivers 31% of the act’s dialogue (260 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 3?
Scene 7, at 250 lines — well above the act’s scene average.