# 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.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/plays/antigone
- Last updated: 2026-10-08

**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](https://www.offbook.com/plays/antigone/creon) | 338 | 2,560 | 26.3% | 18.3 | 1 |
| Chorus | 320 | 2,235 | 23% | 16.0 | 1 |
| [Antigone](https://www.offbook.com/plays/antigone/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 wondrous than man:” | 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

- [How many lines does Creon have?](https://www.offbook.com/plays/antigone/creon)
- [How many lines does Antigone have?](https://www.offbook.com/plays/antigone/antigone)

## 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.

## How we count

Counts are computed from the full text of the [Standard Ebooks edition](https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/sophocles/antigone/francis-storr) (public domain; retrieved 2026-10-08). Words are every spoken word, with stage directions removed. Lines are verse lines as printed, plus prose at 10 words a line, because prose has no fixed line breaks; editions differ, so other sources give slightly different line counts. Time is words at 140 words a minute, before pauses and stage business. A role is counted in a scene when it speaks there. To count a script that is not in the library, paste it into the [script line counter](https://www.offbook.com/tools/script-line-counter).