# Henry VI, Part I: every role by lines, words, and stage time

> William Shakespeare. 55 speaking roles, 20,511 words, about 147 minutes of speech.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/plays/henry-vi-part-i
- Last updated: 2026-10-08

**Talbot** has the most to say in Henry VI, Part I: about 406 lines and 3,117 words, 15.2% of the play. Henry VI, Part I sets England’s losses in France against the first quarrels that lead to the Wars of the Roses. Talbot is the largest part, at about 15% of the words, but the load is spread across 55 speaking roles. Talbot speaks in 12 of 27 sections, none of them in Act 5, while Pucelle continues to the end.

- Speaking roles: 55
- Scenes: 27
- Words: 20,511
- Speech time: 147 min

## Every role, largest first

| Role | Lines | Words | Share | Minutes | Scenes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Talbot | 406 | 3,117 | 15.2% | 22.3 | 12 |
| Pucelle | 254 | 1,962 | 9.6% | 14.0 | 10 |
| Gloucester | 183 | 1,390 | 6.8% | 9.9 | 7 |
| York | 184 | 1,387 | 6.8% | 9.9 | 7 |
| King | 179 | 1,330 | 6.5% | 9.5 | 5 |
| Suffolk | 174 | 1,293 | 6.3% | 9.2 | 3 |
| Charles | 134 | 1,020 | 5% | 7.3 | 8 |
| Messenger | 95 | 703 | 3.4% | 5.0 | 5 |
| Mortimer | 88 | 652 | 3.2% | 4.7 | 1 |
| Bedford | 76 | 596 | 2.9% | 4.3 | 4 |
| Winchester | 78 | 592 | 2.9% | 4.2 | 5 |
| Lucy | 77 | 588 | 2.9% | 4.2 | 3 |
| Warwick | 72 | 535 | 2.6% | 3.8 | 4 |
| Somerset | 64 | 514 | 2.5% | 3.7 | 4 |
| Reignier | 59 | 444 | 2.2% | 3.2 | 6 |
| Exeter | 59 | 435 | 2.1% | 3.1 | 5 |
| John | 47 | 400 | 2% | 2.9 | 2 |
| Alençon | 49 | 359 | 1.8% | 2.6 | 7 |
| Countess | 45 | 350 | 1.7% | 2.5 | 1 |
| Burgundy | 44 | 336 | 1.6% | 2.4 | 6 |
| Margaret | 34 | 254 | 1.2% | 1.8 | 1 |
| Vernon | 29 | 237 | 1.2% | 1.7 | 3 |
| Bastard | 29 | 221 | 1.1% | 1.6 | 5 |
| General | 27 | 203 | 1% | 1.5 | 1 |
| Shepherd | 24 | 201 | 1% | 1.4 | 1 |
| Basset | 25 | 191 | 0.9% | 1.4 | 2 |
| Mayor | 21 | 151 | 0.7% | 1.1 | 2 |
| Master-Gunner | 18 | 138 | 0.7% | 1.0 | 1 |
| Cardinal | 18 | 128 | 0.6% | 0.9 | 1 |
| Salisbury | 15 | 112 | 0.5% | 0.8 | 1 |
| Third Serving-man | 9 | 74 | 0.4% | 0.5 | 1 |
| Fastolfe | 8 | 55 | 0.3% | 0.4 | 2 |
| First Serving-man | 7 | 48 | 0.2% | 0.3 | 2 |
| Officer | 5 | 48 | 0.2% | 0.3 | 1 |
| Captain | 6 | 45 | 0.2% | 0.3 | 3 |
| Woodvile | 5 | 38 | 0.2% | 0.3 | 1 |
| Soldier | 4 | 34 | 0.2% | 0.2 | 1 |
| Boy | 4 | 32 | 0.2% | 0.2 | 1 |
| Scout | 5 | 31 | 0.2% | 0.2 | 1 |
| Sergeant | 4 | 31 | 0.2% | 0.2 | 1 |
| First Gaoler | 4 | 30 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 1 |
| Lawyer | 4 | 29 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 1 |
| First Sentinel | 3 | 22 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 1 |
| First Warder | 3 | 22 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 1 |
| First Soldier | 3 | 21 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 1 |
| Gargrave | 2 | 18 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Serving-men | 2 | 18 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Second Serving-man | 2 | 12 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Watch | 2 | 11 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Servant | 1 | 10 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Glansdale | 1 | 9 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Second Warder | 1 | 9 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Legate | 1 | 7 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Sentinels | 1 | 7 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 |
| Porter | 1 | 3 | 0% | 0.0 | 1 |

## Who speaks in which scene

Words each role speaks in each scene (scene: words). Scenes: 1.1 = Act 1, Scene 1; 1.2 = Act 1, Scene 2; 1.3 = Act 1, Scene 3; 1.4 = Act 1, Scene 4; 1.5 = Act 1, Scene 5; 1.6 = Act 1, Scene 6; 2.1 = Act 2, Scene 1; 2.2 = Act 2, Scene 2; 2.3 = Act 2, Scene 3; 2.4 = Act 2, Scene 4; 2.5 = Act 2, Scene 5; 3.1 = Act 3, Scene 1; 3.2 = Act 3, Scene 2; 3.3 = Act 3, Scene 3; 3.4 = Act 3, Scene 4; 4.1 = Act 4, Scene 1; 4.2 = Act 4, Scene 2; 4.3 = Act 4, Scene 3; 4.4 = Act 4, Scene 4; 4.5 = Act 4, Scene 5; 4.6 = Act 4, Scene 6; 4.7 = Act 4, Scene 7; 5.1 = Act 5, Scene 1; 5.2 = Act 5, Scene 2; 5.3 = Act 5, Scene 3; 5.4 = Act 5, Scene 4; 5.5 = Act 5, Scene 5.

- **Talbot**: 1.4 (527), 1.5 (260), 2.1 (144), 2.2 (208), 2.3 (234), 3.2 (421), 3.4 (85), 4.1 (255), 4.2 (223), 4.5 (196), 4.6 (329), 4.7 (235)
- **Pucelle**: 1.2 (384), 1.5 (54), 1.6 (21), 2.1 (96), 3.2 (246), 3.3 (447), 4.7 (128), 5.2 (39), 5.3 (255), 5.4 (292)
- **Gloucester**: 1.1 (194), 1.3 (344), 3.1 (360), 3.4 (8), 4.1 (264), 5.1 (136), 5.5 (84)
- **York**: 2.4 (342), 2.5 (275), 3.1 (69), 4.1 (72), 4.3 (201), 5.3 (82), 5.4 (346)
- **King**: 3.1 (307), 3.4 (105), 4.1 (479), 5.1 (185), 5.5 (254)
- **Suffolk**: 2.4 (87), 5.3 (752), 5.5 (454)
- **Charles**: 1.2 (387), 1.6 (157), 2.1 (94), 3.2 (39), 3.3 (92), 4.7 (88), 5.2 (53), 5.4 (110)
- **Messenger**: 1.1 (519), 1.4 (33), 2.2 (69), 2.3 (33), 4.3 (49)
- **Mortimer**: 2.5 (652)
- **Bedford**: 1.1 (361), 2.1 (42), 2.2 (79), 3.2 (114)
- **Winchester**: 1.1 (120), 1.3 (145), 3.1 (239), 4.1 (9), 5.1 (79)
- **Lucy**: 4.3 (154), 4.4 (198), 4.7 (236)
- **Warwick**: 2.4 (210), 3.1 (179), 4.1 (33), 5.4 (113)
- **Somerset**: 2.4 (297), 3.1 (38), 4.1 (38), 4.4 (141)

## The longest speeches

| Speech | Scene | Words | Lines |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| King: “Come hither, you that would be combatants:” | Act 4, Scene 1 | 298 | 40 |
| Talbot: “When from the Dauphin’s crest thy sword struck fire,” | Act 4, Scene 6 | 254 | 32 |
| Messenger: “O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o’erthrown:” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 248 | 33 |
| Suffolk: “A dower, my lords! disgrace not so your king,” | Act 5, Scene 5 | 239 | 31 |
| Mortimer: “I will, if that my fading breath permit” | Act 2, Scene 5 | 229 | 32 |
| Talbot: “What chance is this that suddenly hath cross’d us?” | Act 1, Scene 4 | 222 | 28 |
| Pucelle: “The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly.” | Act 5, Scene 3 | 215 | 29 |
| General: “Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,” | Act 4, Scene 2 | 203 | 27 |
| King: “Whether it be through force of your report,” | Act 5, Scene 5 | 172 | 23 |
| Talbot: “My thoughts are whirled like a potter’s wheel;” | Act 1, Scene 5 | 168 | 21 |

## Small roles that can be doubled

These pairs of small roles never speak in the same scene, so one actor could play both. Check entrances and silent appearances in your script before you cast it this way.

- Messenger and Mortimer
- Messenger and Warwick
- Messenger and Somerset
- Messenger and Reignier
- Messenger and John
- Messenger and Alençon
- Messenger and Margaret
- Messenger and Vernon
- Messenger and Bastard
- Messenger and General
- Messenger and Shepherd
- Messenger and Basset

## Questions actors ask

### Who has the most lines in Henry VI, Part I?

Talbot, with about 406 lines and 3,117 words, 15.2% of everything spoken in the play. Pucelle is next, with about 254 lines (9.6%).

### How long is Henry VI, Part I?

The full text has 20,511 spoken words, about 147 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 Henry VI, Part I?

55 named roles speak in this edition, across 27 scenes. 38 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/william-shakespeare/henry-vi-part-i) (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).