Romance • c. 1610
Cymbeline
5 Acts
26 Scenes
3,755 Lines
Romance • c. 1611
The Tempest
2,278Lines
5Acts
9Scenes
19Characters
84% / 16%Male / Female Lines
Written in Shakespeare’s late-period career (c. 1611), The Tempest is a romance of 2,278 lines, 5 acts and 9 scenes with 19 speaking roles.
Opens (Act 1, Scene 1) — Master: “Good, speak to the mariners: fall to't, yarely,”
Closes (Act 5, Scene 1) — Prospero: “Let your indulgence set me free.”
Full cast of The Tempest by line count
| # | Character | Lines | Share | Acts | Scenes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospero ♂ | 695 | 30.5% | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | Caliban ♂ | 175 | 7.7% | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Ariel ♀ | 168 | 7.4% | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | Stephano ♂ | 163 | 7.2% | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Gonzalo ♂ | 161 | 7.1% | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Antonio ♂ | 148 | 6.5% | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | Ferdinand ♂ | 148 | 6.5% | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | Miranda ♀ | 142 | 6.2% | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | Sebastian ♂ | 120 | 5.3% | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | Alonso ♂ | 109 | 4.8% | 4 | 4 |
| 11 | Trinculo ♂ | 105 | 4.6% | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | Boatswain ♂ | 45 | 2.0% | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Iris ♀ | 41 | 1.8% | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Ceres ♀ | 24 | 1.1% | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Adrian ♂ | 12 | 0.5% | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | Francisco ♂ | 11 | 0.5% | 2 | 2 |
| 17 | Juno ♂ | 7 | 0.3% | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Master ♂ | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Mariners ♂ | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | 1 |
When each speaker first enters
- Act 1 — 12 new speakers enter: Prospero, Caliban, Ariel, Gonzalo, Antonio, Ferdinand, Miranda, Sebastian, Alonso, Boatswain (+2 more)
- Act 2 — 4 new speakers enter: Stephano, Trinculo, Adrian, Francisco
- Act 4 — 3 new speakers enter: Iris, Ceres, Juno
Line counts act by act
| Act | Scenes | Lines | Speakers | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | 2 | 660 | 12 | |
| Act 2 | 2 | 555 | 10 | |
| Act 3 | 3 | 393 | 13 | |
| Act 4 | 1 | 287 | 10 | |
| Act 5 | 1 | 383 | 12 |
How male and female voices share Act 1 through Act 5
| Act | Male lines | Female lines | Female share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | 503 | 157 | 24% | |
| Act 2 | 544 | 11 | 2% | |
| Act 3 | 313 | 80 | 20% | |
| Act 4 | 189 | 98 | 34% | |
| Act 5 | 354 | 29 | 8% |
Female voices peak in Act 4 (34% of the act’s dialogue) and are quietest in Act 2 (2%).
Longest scenes in The Tempest
| Scene | Lines | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 2 | 595 | 5 |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 383 | 12 |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 366 | 7 |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 287 | 10 |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 189 | 3 |
Line-length signature
Of 2,278 total lines: 100% short (under 60 characters, typical of quickfire exchanges), 0% mid-length (60–180 characters), and 0% extended (over 180 characters). That makes this a fast-cut play — the text is dominated by brief exchanges and retorts.
How The Tempest compares to Shakespeare’s other romances
| Play | Year | Lines | Acts | Scenes | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tempest (this play) | c. 1611 | 2,278 | 5 | 9 | 19 |
| Pericles, Prince of Tyre | c. 1608 | 2,416 | 5 | 22 | 46 |
| Winter's Tale | c. 1611 | 3,362 | 5 | 14 | 35 |
| Cymbeline | c. 1610 | 3,755 | 5 | 26 | 40 |
Common questions
How long is The Tempest?
2,278 lines of dialogue across 5 acts and 9 scenes — roughly 253 lines per scene.
Who speaks the most in The Tempest?
Prospero with 695 lines — about 31% of the play.
Which act of The Tempest is longest?
Act 1 runs 660 lines across 2 scenes — noticeably heavier than the play’s other acts.
Which female character has the most lines in The Tempest?
Ariel with 168 lines — about 7% of the play’s dialogue.