Act 4 of Richard III runs 879 lines across 5 scenes with 20 speaking characters — about 23.7% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Duchess Of York: “Who m eets us here? my niece Plantagenet”
Closes (Scene 5) — Derby: “These letters will resolve him of my mind. Farewell.”
Who carries the voice in Act 4
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 4 — 36% of this act’s dialogue vs. 18% across the full play.
Act 4
Male 564 · Female 315
The 5 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 106 | 6 | 12.1% |
| Scene 2 | 134 | 6 | 15.2% |
| Scene 3 | 60 | 3 | 6.8% |
| Scene 4 | 560 | 11 | 63.7% |
| Scene 5 | 19 | 2 | 2.2% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: King Richard Iii with 35% of Act 4’s dialogue (312 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Richard Iii ♂ | 312 | 35.5% |
| Queen Elizabeth ♀ | 182 | 20.7% |
| Queen Margaret ♀ | 94 | 10.7% |
| Duchess Of York ♂ | 72 | 8.2% |
| Lady Anne ♀ | 39 | 4.4% |
| Tyrrel ♂ | 38 | 4.3% |
| Buckingham ♂ | 29 | 3.3% |
Characters first heard in Act 4
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| King Richard Iii ♂ | 473 |
| Tyrrel ♂ | 38 |
| Fourth Messenger ♂ | 10 |
| Christopher ♂ | 8 |
| Third Messenger ♂ | 7 |
| Page ♂ | 6 |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 5 (19 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (560 lines, the longest), averaging about 176 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of Richard III compares to other histories
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry V | 997 | 9 |
| Richard III (this act) | 879 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 878 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 762 | 10 |
| King John | 589 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 563 | 8 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 559 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 387 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 362 | 2 |
| Richard II | 340 | 1 |
About Act 4 of Richard III
How many lines are in Act 4 of Richard III?
879 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
King Richard Iii delivers 35% of the act’s dialogue (312 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 4, at 560 lines — well above the act’s scene average.