The Merchant of Venice, Act 2
677Lines
9Scenes
16Speakers
87% / 13%Male / Female Lines
Act 2 of The Merchant of Venice runs 677 lines across 9 scenes with 16 speaking characters — about 25.4% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Morocco: “Mislike me not for my complexion,”
Closes (Scene 9) — Nerissa: “Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be!”
The 9 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 49 | 2 | 7.2% |
| Scene 2 | 201 | 5 | 29.7% |
| Scene 3 | 21 | 2 | 3.1% |
| Scene 4 | 42 | 5 | 6.2% |
| Scene 5 | 57 | 3 | 8.4% |
| Scene 6 | 70 | 5 | 10.3% |
| Scene 7 | 80 | 2 | 11.8% |
| Scene 8 | 55 | 2 | 8.1% |
| Scene 9 | 102 | 4 | 15.1% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Launcelot with 19% of Act 2’s dialogue (132 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Launcelot ♂ | 132 | 19.5% |
| Morocco ♂ | 103 | 15.2% |
| Arragon ♂ | 65 | 9.6% |
| Lorenzo ♂ | 49 | 7.2% |
| Portia ♀ | 46 | 6.8% |
| Salarino ♂ | 41 | 6.1% |
| Gratiano ♂ | 40 | 5.9% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
Pacing across the 9 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 3 (21 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (201 lines, the longest), averaging about 75 lines per scene.
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Act 2 is male-dominant even by the play’s standards — female share drops to 13%, compared to 28% overall.
Act 2
Male 587 · Female 90
How Act 2 of The Merchant of Venice compares to other comedies
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| The Merchant of Venice (this act) | 677 | 9 |
| Much Ado About Nothing | 644 | 3 |
| Two Gentlemen of Verona | 640 | 7 |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | 592 | 3 |
| Twelfth Night | 591 | 5 |
| As You Like It | 550 | 7 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | 429 | 2 |
| Taming of the Shrew | 423 | 1 |
| The Comedy of Errors | 365 | 2 |
| Love's Labours Lost | 269 | 1 |
About Act 2 of The Merchant of Venice
How many lines are in Act 2 of The Merchant of Venice?
677 lines spread across 9 scenes.
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 2, at 201 lines — well above the act’s scene average.