How many lines does Lady Macbeth have in Macbeth?
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
Lady Macbeth has about 259 lines in Macbeth: 1,899 words in 59 speeches, 11.6% of the play, and the second-largest part. The role speaks in 9 of the 28 scenes, and its longest wait is 5 scenes in a row without a line.
Lady Macbeth is much shorter than her fame suggests. Her lines are packed into the first three acts and the sleepwalking scene, which is in prose.
- Lines
- 259
- Words
- 1,899
- Share of play
- 11.6%
- Speech time
- 14 min
79% of the words are verse. 59 speeches means about 59 cues to learn.
Scene by scene
| Scene | Words | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 5 | 547 | 3.9 |
| Act 1, Scene 6 | 72 | 0.5 |
| Act 1, Scene 7 | 327 | 2.3 |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 339 | 2.4 |
| Act 2, Scene 3 | 28 | 0.2 |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 18 | 0.1 |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 117 | 0.8 |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 284 | 2.0 |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 167 | 1.2 |
The longest speeches
| Speech | Scene | Words |
|---|---|---|
| ““They met me in the day of success: and I have lea…” | Act 1, Scene 5 | 261 |
| “Give him tending;” | Act 1, Scene 5 | 164 |
| “What beast was’t, then,” | Act 1, Scene 7 | 111 |
| “We fail!” | Act 1, Scene 7 | 96 |
| “Was the hope drunk” | Act 1, Scene 7 | 88 |
| “O, never” | Act 1, Scene 5 | 82 |
| “My hands are of your colour; but I shame” | Act 2, Scene 2 | 72 |
| “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold;” | Act 2, Scene 2 | 70 |
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 | 26 |
| 3 weeks | 18 |
| 4 weeks | 13 |
| 6 weeks | 9 |
More from Macbeth
- Lady Macbeth’s monologue: “The raven himself is hoarse”
- How many lines does Macbeth have?
- How many lines does Banquo have?
- Every role in Macbeth, by size
Questions actors ask
How many lines does Lady Macbeth have in Macbeth?
About 259 lines: 204 lines of verse and 400 words of prose. That is 1,899 words in 59 speeches, 11.6% of the play and the second-largest part.
How long is Lady Macbeth’s longest speech?
261 words, in Act 1, Scene 5, beginning ““They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me ‘Thane of Cawdor;’ by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with ‘Hail, king that shalt be!’ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.”” At 140 words a minute it runs about 1.9 minutes.
How long does it take to learn Lady Macbeth?
To be off book in three weeks, learning five days a week, plan on about 18 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
- Macbeth: every role by lines, words, and stage timeWilliam Shakespeare. Line counts, scenes, and the longest speeches.
- How many lines does Antipholus of Syracuse have in The Comedy of Errors?Lines, words, scenes, the longest speeches, and a plan to learn the part.
- Lady Windermere’s Fan: every role by lines, words, and stage timeOscar Wilde. Line counts, scenes, and the longest speeches.
- How many lines does Lady Bracknell have in The Importance of Being Earnest?Lines, words, scenes, the longest speeches, and a plan to learn the part.