Act 2 of Winter's Tale runs 566 lines across 3 scenes with 14 speaking characters — about 16.8% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Hermione: “Take the boy to you: he so troubles me,”
Closes (Scene 3) — Leontes: “My heart will be a burthen to me. Leave me,”
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 2 — 38% of this act’s dialogue vs. 23% across the full play.
Act 2
Male 351 · Female 215
The 3 scenes of Act 2
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Leontes with 39% of Act 2’s dialogue (220 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Leontes ♂ | 220 | 38.9% |
| Paulina ♀ | 135 | 23.9% |
| Antigonus ♂ | 60 | 10.6% |
| Hermione ♀ | 46 | 8.1% |
| First Lord ♂ | 28 | 4.9% |
| Emilia ♀ | 21 | 3.7% |
| Mamillius ♂ | 18 | 3.2% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Paulina ♀ | 340 |
| Antigonus ♂ | 112 |
| Servant ♂ | 45 |
| First Lord ♂ | 36 |
| Emilia ♀ | 21 |
| Gaoler ♂ | 13 |
| First Lady ♀ | 9 |
Pacing across the 3 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 2 (83 lines, the shortest) to Scene 3 (248 lines, the longest), averaging about 189 lines per scene.
How Act 2 of Winter's Tale compares to other romances
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter's Tale (this act) | 566 | 3 |
| The Tempest | 555 | 2 |
| Pericles, Prince of Tyre | 544 | 5 |
| Cymbeline | 524 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Winter's Tale
How many lines are in Act 2 of Winter’s Tale?
566 lines spread across 3 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Leontes delivers 39% of the act’s dialogue (220 lines).