Act 5 of Richard III runs 482 lines across 5 scenes with 25 speaking characters — about 13.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Buckingham: “Will not King Richard let me speak with him?”
Closes (Scene 5) — Richmond: “That she may long live here, God say amen!”
The 5 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 29 | 2 | 6.0% |
| Scene 2 | 24 | 4 | 5.0% |
| Scene 3 | 375 | 21 | 77.8% |
| Scene 4 | 13 | 2 | 2.7% |
| Scene 5 | 41 | 2 | 8.5% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: King Richard Iii with 33% of Act 5’s dialogue (161 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| King Richard Iii ♂ | 161 | 33.4% |
| Richmond ♂ | 137 | 28.4% |
| Derby ♂ | 30 | 6.2% |
| Buckingham ♂ | 27 | 5.6% |
| Ratcliff ♂ | 15 | 3.1% |
| Of Buckingham ♂ | 11 | 2.3% |
| Catesby ♂ | 11 | 2.3% |
Characters first heard in Act 5
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Richmond ♂ | 137 |
| Of Buckingham ♂ | 11 |
| Norfolk ♂ | 10 |
| Ghost Of Lady Anne ♂ | 10 |
| Of Young Princes ♂ | 9 |
| Ghost Of Clarence ♂ | 9 |
| Of Prince Edward ♂ | 8 |
| Blunt ♂ | 8 |
| Of King Henry Vi ♂ | 8 |
| Ghost Of Hastings ♂ | 7 |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 4 (13 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (375 lines, the longest), averaging about 96 lines per scene.
How Act 5 of Richard III compares to other histories
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry VIII | 653 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 569 | 5 |
| Richard II | 565 | 6 |
| King John | 537 | 7 |
| Henry IV, part 2 | 536 | 5 |
| Henry IV, part 1 | 520 | 5 |
| Henry V | 516 | 3 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 497 | 7 |
| Richard III (this act) | 482 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 343 | 3 |
About Act 5 of Richard III
How many lines are in Act 5 of Richard III?
482 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
King Richard Iii delivers 33% of the act’s dialogue (161 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 3, at 375 lines — well above the act’s scene average.