How many lines does Helena have in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
The size of the part, every scene it speaks in, its longest speeches, and how long it takes to learn.
The Offbook team
Oct 8, 2026
Helena has about 229 lines in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 1,812 words in 36 speeches, 11.3% of the play, and the second-largest part. The role speaks in 5 of the 9 scenes.
Helena has the most words of the four lovers, with two long solo speeches in the first two acts and fast quarrel scenes in the third.
- Lines
- 229
- Words
- 1,812
- Share of play
- 11.3%
- Speech time
- 13 min
95% of the words are verse. 36 speeches means about 36 cues to learn.
Scene by scene
| Scene | Words | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 350 | 2.5 |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 292 | 2.1 |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 254 | 1.8 |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 898 | 6.4 |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 18 | 0.1 |
The longest speeches
| Speech | Scene | Words |
|---|---|---|
| “Lo, she is one of this confederacy!” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 215 |
| “How happy some o’er other some can be!” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 208 |
| “O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 140 |
| “O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!” | Act 2, Scene 2 | 120 |
| “Call you me fair? that fair again unsay.” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 106 |
| “Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn,” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 106 |
| “Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 99 |
| “Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?” | Act 2, Scene 2 | 93 |
How many lines a day to learn
New lines a day to be off book in time, learning five days a week. Review what you already know on the other days.
| Time until off book | New lines a day |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks | 23 |
| 3 weeks | 16 |
| 4 weeks | 12 |
| 6 weeks | 8 |
More from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Helena’s monologue: “How happy some o’er other some can be!”
- How many lines does Puck have?
- How many lines does Bottom have?
- Every role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by size
Questions actors ask
How many lines does Helena have in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
About 229 lines: 215 lines of verse and 99 words of prose. That is 1,812 words in 36 speeches, 11.3% of the play and the second-largest part.
How long is Helena’s longest speech?
215 words, in Act 3, Scene 2, beginning “Lo, she is one of this confederacy!” At 140 words a minute it runs about 1.5 minutes.
How long does it take to learn Helena?
To be off book in three weeks, learning five days a week, plan on about 16 new lines a day, plus time to review what you already know. Start with your longest speeches and the scenes with the most cues.
Keep reading
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream: every role by lines, words, and stage timeWilliam Shakespeare. Line counts, scenes, and the longest speeches.
- Helena: “How happy some o’er other some can be!”Full text from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, run time, cut points, and a first-letter version.
- Titania: “These are the forgeries of jealousy”Full text from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, run time, cut points, and a first-letter version.
- How many lines does Bottom have in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?Lines, words, scenes, the longest speeches, and a plan to learn the part.