Troilus and Cressida, Act 4
691Lines
5Scenes
16Speakers
89% / 11%Male / Female Lines
Act 4 of Troilus and Cressida runs 691 lines across 5 scenes with 16 speaking characters — about 20.0% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Aeneas: “Is the prince there in person?”
Closes (Scene 5) — Troilus: “But still sweet love is food for fortune's tooth.”
The 5 scenes of Act 4
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 84 | 4 | 12.2% |
| Scene 2 | 114 | 4 | 16.5% |
| Scene 3 | 13 | 2 | 1.9% |
| Scene 4 | 158 | 7 | 22.9% |
| Scene 5 | 322 | 13 | 46.6% |
Who speaks in Act 4
Leading voice: Troilus with 19% of Act 4’s dialogue (129 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus ♂ | 129 | 18.7% |
| Cressida ♀ | 79 | 11.4% |
| Hector ♂ | 79 | 11.4% |
| Aeneas ♂ | 74 | 10.7% |
| Ulysses ♂ | 62 | 9.0% |
| Diomedes ♂ | 50 | 7.2% |
| Pandarus ♂ | 46 | 6.7% |
Pacing across the 5 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 4 range from Scene 3 (13 lines, the shortest) to Scene 5 (322 lines, the longest), averaging about 138 lines per scene.
How Act 4 of Troilus and Cressida compares to other problem plays
| Play | Act 4 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus and Cressida (this act) | 691 | 5 |
| All's Well That Ends Well | 637 | 5 |
| Measure for Measure | 533 | 6 |
About Act 4 of Troilus and Cressida
How many lines are in Act 4 of Troilus and Cressida?
691 lines spread across 5 scenes.
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 4?
Scene 5, at 322 lines — well above the act’s scene average.