Troilus and Cressida, Act 5
680Lines
10Scenes
22Speakers
88% / 12%Male / Female Lines
Act 5 of Troilus and Cressida runs 680 lines across 10 scenes with 22 speaking characters — about 19.7% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Achilles: “I'll heat his blood with Greekish wine to-night,”
Closes (Scene 10) — Pandarus: “And at that time bequeathe you my diseases.”
The 10 scenes of Act 5
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 106 | 10 | 15.6% |
| Scene 2 | 218 | 7 | 32.1% |
| Scene 3 | 123 | 6 | 18.1% |
| Scene 4 | 37 | 4 | 5.4% |
| Scene 5 | 50 | 7 | 7.4% |
| Scene 6 | 34 | 5 | 5.0% |
| Scene 7 | 23 | 3 | 3.4% |
| Scene 8 | 22 | 3 | 3.2% |
| Scene 9 | 10 | 4 | 1.5% |
| Scene 10 | 57 | 4 | 8.4% |
Who speaks in Act 5
Leading voice: Troilus with 24% of Act 5’s dialogue (163 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus ♂ | 163 | 24.0% |
| Thersites ♂ | 114 | 16.8% |
| Hector ♂ | 59 | 8.7% |
| Achilles ♂ | 57 | 8.4% |
| Diomedes ♂ | 46 | 6.8% |
| Cressida ♀ | 46 | 6.8% |
| Ulysses ♂ | 45 | 6.6% |
Pacing across the 10 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 5 range from Scene 9 (10 lines, the shortest) to Scene 2 (218 lines, the longest), averaging about 68 lines per scene.
How Act 5 of Troilus and Cressida compares to other problem plays
| Play | Act 5 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Troilus and Cressida (this act) | 680 | 10 |
| Measure for Measure | 579 | 1 |
| All's Well That Ends Well | 476 | 3 |
About Act 5 of Troilus and Cressida
How many lines are in Act 5 of Troilus and Cressida?
680 lines spread across 10 scenes.
Who dominates Act 5?
Troilus delivers 24% of the act’s dialogue (163 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 5?
Scene 2, at 218 lines — well above the act’s scene average.