How many lines does Kent have in King Lear?

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

Kent has about 362 lines in King Lear: 2,604 words in 127 speeches, 10.3% of the play, and the third-largest part. The role speaks in 12 of the 26 scenes, and its longest wait is 3 scenes in a row without a line.

Kent is banished in the first scene and spends almost all the rest of the play disguised as a servant to Lear. His biggest scene is Act 2, Scene 2, where he rails at Oswald and ends up in the stocks. He speaks in twelve scenes, so the part is spread wide, with about a tenth of the words.

Lines: 362
Words: 2,604
Share of play: 10.3%
Speech time: 19 min

66% of the words are verse. 127 speeches means about 127 cues to learn.

Scene by scene

Scene	Words	Minutes
Act 1, Scene 1	306	2.2
Act 1, Scene 4	251	1.8
Act 1, Scene 5	12	0.1
Act 2, Scene 2	730	5.2
Act 2, Scene 4	190	1.4
Act 3, Scene 1	313	2.2
Act 3, Scene 2	123	0.9
Act 3, Scene 4	119	0.8
Act 3, Scene 6	103	0.7
Act 4, Scene 3	203	1.4
Act 4, Scene 7	100	0.7
Act 5, Scene 3	154	1.1

The longest speeches

Speech	Scene	Words
“Sir, I do know you;”	Act 3, Scene 1	203
“My lord, when at their home”	Act 2, Scene 4	136
“That such a slave as this should wear a sword,”	Act 2, Scene 2	104
“Good king, that must approve the common saw,”	Act 2, Scene 2	93
“Let it fall rather, though the fork invade”	Act 1, Scene 1	84
“A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a bas…”	Act 2, Scene 2	80
“Fare thee well, king: sith thus thou wilt appear,”	Act 1, Scene 1	67
“Alas, sir, are you here? things that love night”	Act 3, Scene 2	66

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	37
3 weeks	25
4 weeks	19
6 weeks	13

Questions actors ask