Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet runs 407 lines across 5 scenes with 14 speaking characters — about 13.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Friar Laurence: “On Thursday, sir? the time is very short.”
Closes (Scene 5) — Second Musician: “Hang him, Jack! Come, we'll in here; tarry for the”
Who carries the voice in Act 4
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 4 — 42% of this act’s dialogue vs. 31% across the full play.
Act 4
Male 237 · Female 170
The 5 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 127 | 3 | 31.2% |
| Scene 2 | 48 | 6 | 11.8% |
| Scene 3 | 59 | 2 | 14.5% |
| Scene 4 | 31 | 5 | 7.6% |
| Scene 5 | 142 | 10 | 34.9% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Juliet with 29% of Act 4’s dialogue (116 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Juliet ♀ | 116 | 28.5% |
| Friar Laurence ♂ | 81 | 19.9% |
| Capulet ♂ | 75 | 18.4% |
| Nurse ♀ | 34 | 8.4% |
| Paris ♂ | 29 | 7.1% |
| Peter ♂ | 27 | 6.6% |
| Lady Capulet ♀ | 20 | 4.9% |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 4 (31 lines, the shortest) to Scene 5 (142 lines, the longest), averaging about 81 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet compares to other tragedies
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 763 | 7 |
| Coriolanus | 707 | 7 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 695 | 15 |
| Hamlet | 693 | 7 |
| Othello | 691 | 3 |
| Timon of Athens | 626 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 548 | 3 |
| Titus Andronicus | 547 | 4 |
| Julius Caesar | 461 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet (this act) | 407 | 5 |
About Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet
How many lines are in Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet?
407 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Who dominates Act 4?
Juliet delivers 29% of the act’s dialogue (116 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 5, at 142 lines — well above the act’s scene average.