Antigone: every role by lines, words, and stage time

Sophocles, translated by Francis Storr. 10 speaking roles, 9,734 words, about 70 minutes of speech.

The Offbook team

Oct 8, 2026

Creon has the most to say in Antigone: about 338 lines and 2,560 words, 26.3% of the play. Sophocles’ tragedy follows Antigone, who buries her brother against the decree of her uncle Creon. Despite the title, Creon is the largest part, with over a quarter of the words, and the Chorus comes next. Antigone holds about a sixth, so her part is short and intense compared with Creon’s.

Speaking roles: 10
Scenes: Continuous
Words: 9,734
Speech time: 70 min

Every role, largest first

Role	Lines	Words	Share	Minutes	Scenes
Creon	338	2,560	26.3%	18.3	1
Chorus	320	2,235	23%	16.0	1
Antigone	205	1,590	16.3%	11.4	1
Guard	110	897	9.2%	6.4	1
Messenger	84	667	6.9%	4.8	1
Teiresias	78	622	6.4%	4.4	1
Haemon	64	522	5.4%	3.7	1
Ismene	58	459	4.7%	3.3	1
Second Messenger	14	119	1.2%	0.9	1
Eurydice	8	63	0.6%	0.5	1

The longest speeches

Speech	Words	Lines
Messenger: “Dear mistress, I was there and will relate”	417	53
Creon: “Elders, the gods have righted once again”	370	49
Chorus: “Sunbeam, of all that ever dawn upon”	366	56
Haemon: “Father, the gods implant in mortal men”	324	40
Creon: “Well spoken: so right-minded sons should feel,”	306	40
Antigone: “O grave, O bridal bower, O prison house”	301	38
Chorus: “Many wonders there be, but naught more wondrou…”	299	30
Chorus: “Thrice blest are they who never tasted pain!”	276	40
Teiresias: “The divination of my arts shall tell.”	270	34
Guard: “It happened thus. No sooner had we come,”	259	31

Roles and monologues in depth

Questions actors ask

Who has the most lines in Antigone?

Creon, with about 338 lines and 2,560 words, 26.3% of everything spoken in the play. Chorus is next, with about 320 lines (23%).

How long is Antigone?

The full text has 9,734 spoken words, about 70 minutes at 140 words a minute before pauses, scene changes, and cuts. Most productions cut the text, so running times vary.

How many speaking roles are in Antigone?

10 named roles speak in this edition, in one continuous text with no scene breaks. 2 of them have less than 2% of the words, which is why small parts are often doubled.