Act 1 of Timon of Athens runs 576 lines across 2 scenes, carrying about 23.5% of the play’s total dialogue with 23 named speakers. It’s longer than the play’s average act (490 lines).
Act opens (Scene 1, Poet): “I have not seen you long: how goes the world?”
Act closes (Scene 2, Apemantus): “To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!”
The 2 scenes of Act 1
Who speaks in Act 1
The leading voice is Timon with 30% of Act 1’s dialogue (174 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Timon ♂ | 174 | 30.2% |
| Apemantus ♂ | 125 | 21.7% |
| Poet ♂ | 79 | 13.7% |
| Painter ♂ | 31 | 5.4% |
| Old Athenian ♂ | 29 | 5.0% |
| Flavius ♂ | 25 | 4.3% |
| First Lord ♂ | 20 | 3.5% |
How Act 1 of Timon of Athens compares to other tragedys
| Play | Act 1 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| King Lear | 951 | 5 |
| Hamlet | 921 | 5 |
| Coriolanus | 842 | 10 |
| Othello | 739 | 3 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 725 | 5 |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 582 | 5 |
| Timon of Athens (this act) | 576 | 2 |
| Julius Caesar | 574 | 3 |
| Macbeth | 534 | 7 |
| Titus Andronicus | 502 | 1 |
About Act 1 of Timon of Athens
How many lines are in Act 1 of Timon of Athens?
576 lines spread across 2 scenes.
Who dominates Act 1?
Timon delivers 30% of the act’s dialogue (174 lines).