# The Alchemist: every role by lines, words, and stage time > Ben Jonson. 21 speaking roles, 26,219 words, about 187 minutes of speech. - URL: https://www.offbook.com/plays/the-alchemist - Last updated: 2026-10-08 **Face** has the most to say in The Alchemist: about 1,060 lines and 8,216 words, 31.3% of the play. The Alchemist is Jonson’s verse comedy about a servant and a con man who run swindles from a London house while its master is away. Face and Subtle together hold more than half the words, and Face speaks in 10 of 11 sections. Sir Epicure Mammon is the next largest part, while Lovewit speaks only in Act 5. - Speaking roles: 21 - Scenes: 11 - Words: 26,219 - Speech time: 187 min ## Every role, largest first | Role | Lines | Words | Share | Minutes | Scenes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Face | 1,060 | 8,216 | 31.3% | 58.7 | 10 | | Subtle | 898 | 6,958 | 26.5% | 49.7 | 9 | | Sir Epicure Mammon | 419 | 3,306 | 12.6% | 23.6 | 5 | | Pertinax Surly | 195 | 1,513 | 5.8% | 10.8 | 6 | | Dol Common | 192 | 1,400 | 5.3% | 10.0 | 7 | | Lovewit | 154 | 1,174 | 4.5% | 8.4 | 2 | | Kastril | 121 | 812 | 3.1% | 5.8 | 6 | | Ananias | 99 | 736 | 2.8% | 5.3 | 6 | | Tribulation Wholesome | 76 | 617 | 2.4% | 4.4 | 4 | | Drugger | 79 | 569 | 2.2% | 4.1 | 5 | | Dapper | 90 | 542 | 2.1% | 3.9 | 4 | | Dame Pliant | 11 | 73 | 0.3% | 0.5 | 3 | | 1 Neighbour | 12 | 67 | 0.3% | 0.5 | 1 | | 2 Neighbour | 11 | 62 | 0.2% | 0.4 | 1 | | 6 Neighbour | 8 | 52 | 0.2% | 0.4 | 1 | | 3 Neighbour | 9 | 41 | 0.2% | 0.3 | 1 | | Officer | 4 | 25 | 0.1% | 0.2 | 2 | | 4 Neighbour | 4 | 20 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 | | 5 Neighbour | 5 | 18 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 1 | | 2 Officer | 2 | 12 | 0% | 0.1 | 1 | | 1 Officer | 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; 2.1 = Act 2, Scene 1; 3.1 = Act 3, Scene 1; 3.2 = Act 3, Scene 2; 4.1 = Act 4, Scene 1; 4.2 = Act 4, Scene 2; 4.3 = Act 4, Scene 3; 4.4 = Act 4, Scene 4; 5.1 = Act 5, Scene 1; 5.2 = Act 5, Scene 2; 5.3 = Act 5, Scene 3. - **Face**: 1.1 (1,788), 2.1 (1,298), 3.2 (1,937), 4.1 (746), 4.2 (282), 4.3 (378), 4.4 (560), 5.1 (579), 5.2 (422), 5.3 (226) - **Subtle**: 1.1 (1,490), 2.1 (1,860), 3.2 (1,401), 4.1 (890), 4.2 (224), 4.3 (274), 4.4 (234), 5.1 (6), 5.2 (579) - **Sir Epicure Mammon**: 2.1 (1,989), 4.1 (971), 4.3 (172), 5.1 (52), 5.3 (122) - **Pertinax Surly**: 2.1 (748), 4.1 (73), 4.2 (76), 4.4 (468), 5.1 (92), 5.3 (56) - **Dol Common**: 1.1 (578), 2.1 (48), 3.2 (34), 4.1 (252), 4.3 (202), 4.4 (40), 5.2 (246) - **Lovewit**: 5.1 (518), 5.3 (656) - **Kastril**: 3.2 (175), 4.1 (65), 4.2 (185), 4.4 (147), 5.1 (85), 5.3 (155) - **Ananias**: 2.1 (149), 3.1 (100), 3.2 (97), 4.4 (163), 5.1 (51), 5.3 (176) - **Tribulation Wholesome**: 3.1 (295), 3.2 (286), 5.1 (10), 5.3 (26) - **Drugger**: 1.1 (200), 2.1 (204), 3.2 (117), 4.4 (41), 5.3 (7) - **Dapper**: 1.1 (324), 3.2 (105), 5.1 (26), 5.2 (87) ## The longest speeches | Speech | Scene | Words | Lines | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Subtle: “It is, of the one part, A humid exhalation, which we call Materia liquida, or the unctuous water; On the other part, a certain crass and vicious Portion of earth; both which, concorporate, Do make the elementary matter of gold; Which is not yet propria materia, But common to all metals and all stones; For, where it is forsaken of that moisture, And hath more dryness, it becomes a stone: Where it retains more of the humid fatness, It turns to sulphur, or to quicksilver, Who are the parents of all other metals. Nor can this remote matter suddenly Progress so from extreme unto extreme, As to grow gold, and leap o’er all the means. Nature doth first beget the imperfect, then Proceeds she to the perfect. Of that airy And oily water, mercury is engendered; Sulphur of the fat and earthy part; the one, Which is the last, supplying the place of male, The other of the female, in all metals. Some do believe hermaphrodeity, That both do act and suffer. But these two Make the rest ductile, malleable, extensive. And even in gold they are; for we do find Seeds of them, by our fire, and gold in them; And can produce the species of each metal More perfect thence, than nature doth in earth. Beside, who doth not see in daily practice Art can beget bees, hornets, beetles, wasps, Out of the carcases and dung of creatures; Yea, scorpions of an herb, being rightly placed? And these are living creatures, far more perfect And excellent than metals.” | Act 2, Scene 1 | 260 | 26 | | Sir Epicure Mammon: “No. I’ll have no bawds, But fathers and mothers: they will do it best, Best of all others. And my flatterers Shall be the pure and gravest of divines, That I can get for money. My mere fools, Eloquent burgesses, and then my poets The same that writ so subtly of the fart, Whom I will entertain still for that subject. The few that would give out themselves to be Court and town-stallions, and, each-where, bely Ladies who are known most innocent for them; Those will I beg, to make me eunuchs of: And they shall fan me with ten ostrich tails Apiece, made in a plume to gather wind. We will be brave, Puffe, now we have the medicine. My meat shall all come in, in Indian shells, Dishes of agate set in gold, and studded With emeralds, sapphires, hyacinths, and rubies. The tongues of carps, dormice, and camels’ heels, Boiled in the spirit of Sol, and dissolved pearl, Apicius’ diet, ’gainst the epilepsy: And I will eat these broths with spoons of amber, Headed with diamond and carbuncle. My footboy shall eat pheasants, calvered salmons, Knots, godwits, lampreys: I myself will have The beards of barbels served, instead of salads; Oiled mushrooms; and the swelling unctuous paps Of a fat pregnant sow, newly cut off, Dressed with an exquisite, and poignant sauce; For which, I’ll say unto my cook, “There’s gold, Go forth, and be a knight.”” | Act 2, Scene 1 | 239 | 24 | | Tribulation Wholesome: “Not always necessary: The children of perdition are ofttimes Made instruments even of the greatest works: Beside, we should give somewhat to man’s nature, The place he lives in, still about the fire, And fume of metals, that intoxicate The brain of man, and make him prone to passion. Where have you greater atheists than your cooks? Or more profane, or choleric, than your glass-men? More antichristian than your bell-founders? What makes the Devil so devilish, I would ask you, Satan, our common enemy, but his being Perpetually about the fire, and boiling Brimstone and arsenic? We must give, I say, Unto the motives, and the stirrers up Of humours in the blood. It may be so, When as the work is done, the stone is made, This heat of his may turn into a zeal, And stand up for the beauteous discipline, Against the menstruous cloth and rag of Rome. We must await his calling, and the coming Of the good spirit. You did fault, t’ upbraid him With the Brethren’s blessing of Heidelberg, weighing What need we have to hasten on the work, For the restoring of the silenced saints, Which ne’er will be, but by the philosopher’s stone. And so a learned elder, one of Scotland, Assured me; aurum potabile being The only medicine, for the civil magistrate, T’ incline him to a feeling of the cause; And must be daily used in the disease.” | Act 3, Scene 1 | 238 | 24 | | Dol Common: “You’ll bring your head within a cockscomb, will you? And you, sir, with your menstrue— Gather it up.— ’Sdeath, you abominable pair of stinkards, Leave off your barking, and grow one again, Or, by the light that shines, I’ll cut your throats. I’ll not be made a prey unto the marshal, For ne’er a snarling dog-bolt of you both. Have you together cozened all this while, And all the world, and shall it now be said, You’ve made most courteous shift to cozen yourselves? You will accuse him! You will “bring him in Within the statute!” Who shall take your word? A whoreson, upstart, apocryphal Captain, Whom not a Puritan in Blackfriars will trust So much as for a feather: and you, too, Will give the cause, forsooth! You will insult, And claim a primacy in the divisions! You must be chief! As if you only had The powder to project with, and the work Were not begun out of equality? The venture tripartite? All things in common? Without priority? ’Sdeath! You perpetual curs, Fall to your couples again, and cozen kindly, And heartily, and lovingly, as you should, And lose not the beginning of a term, Or, by this hand, I shall grow factious too, And take my part, and quit you.” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 213 | 22 | | Sir Epicure Mammon: “Come on, sir. Now, you set your foot on shore In Novo Orbe; here’s the rich Peru: And there within, sir, are the golden mines, Great Solomon’s Ophir! He was sailing to’t, Three years, but we have reached it in ten months. This is the day, wherein, to all my friends, I will pronounce the happy word, Be Rich; This day you shall be spectatissimi. You shall no more deal with the hollow dye, Or the frail card. No more be at charge of keeping The livery-punk for the young heir, that must Seal, at all hours, in his shirt: no more, If he deny, have him beaten to’t, as he is That brings him the commodity. No more Shall thirst of satin, or the covetous hunger Of velvet entrails for a rude-spun cloak, To be displayed at Madam Augusta’s, make The sons of Sword and Hazard fall before The golden calf, and on their knees, whole nights Commit idolatry with wine and trumpets: Or go a feasting after drum and ensign. No more of this. You shall start up young viceroys, And have your punks, and punketees, my Surly. And unto thee I speak it first, Be Rich. Where is my Subtle, there? Within, ho!” | Act 2, Scene 1 | 206 | 21 | | Subtle: “This qualifies most! Why, thus it should be, now you understand. Have I discoursed so unto you of our stone, And of the good that it shall bring your cause? Showed you (beside the main of hiring forces Abroad, drawing the Hollanders, your friends, From the Indies, to serve you, with all their fleet) That even the medicinal use shall make you a faction, And party in the realm? As, put the case, That some great man in state, he have the gout, Why, you but send three drops of your elixir, You help him straight: there you have made a friend. Another has the palsy or the dropsy, He takes of your incombustible stuff, He’s young again: there you have made a friend, A lady that is past the feat of body, Though not of mind, and hath her face decayed Beyond all cure of paintings, you restore, With the oil of talc: there you have made a friend; And all her friends. A lord that is a leper, A knight that has the bone-ache, or a squire That hath both these, you make them smooth and sound, With a bare fricace of your medicine: still You increase your friends.” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 201 | 21 | | Pertinax Surly: “O, make your approach, good Captain. I have found from whence your copper rings and spoons Come, now, wherewith you cheat abroad in taverns. ’Twas here you learned t’ anoint your boot with brimstone, Then rub men’s gold on’t for a kind of touch, And say ’twas naught, when you had changed the colour, That you might have’t for nothing. And this Doctor, Your sooty, smoky-bearded compeer, he Will close you so much gold, in a bolt’s head, And, on a turn, convey in the stead another With sublimed mercury, that shall burst in the heat, And fly out all in fumo! Then weeps Mammon; Then swoons his worship.” | Act 4, Scene 4 | 178 | 18 | | Face: “Ay, sir, And gallants yet. Here’s a young gentleman Is born to nothing—forty marks a year, Which I count nothing:—he is to be initiated, And have a fly of the Doctor. He will win you, By unresistible luck, within this fortnight, Enough to buy a barony. They will set him Upmost, at the Groom porter’s, all the Christmas: And for the whole year through, at every place, Where there is play, present him with the chair; The best attendance, the best drink; sometimes Two glasses of Canary, and pay nothing; The purest linen, and the sharpest knife, The partridge next his trencher: and somewhere The dainty bed, in private, with the dainty. You shall have your ordinaries bid for him, As playhouses for a poet; and the master Pray him aloud to name what dish he affects, Which must be buttered shrimps: and those that drink To no mouth else, will drink to his, as being The goodly president mouth of all the board.” | Act 3, Scene 2 | 166 | 17 | | Subtle: “Son, I doubt You are covetous, that thus you meet your time In the just point: prevent your day at morning. This argues something, worthy of a fear Of importune and carnal appetite. Take heed you do not cause the blessing leave you, With your ungoverned haste. I should be sorry To see my labours, now even at perfection, Got by long watching and large patience, Not prosper where my love and zeal hath placed them. Which (heaven I call to witness, with yourself, To whom I have poured my thoughts) in all my ends, Have looked no way, but unto public good, To pious uses, and dear charity Now grown a prodigy with men. Wherein If you, my son, should now prevaricate, And, to your own particular lusts employ So great and catholic a bliss, be sure A curse will follow, yea, and overtake Your subtle and most secret ways.” | Act 2, Scene 1 | 151 | 16 | | Subtle: “O, I did look for him With the sun’s rising: ’marvel he could sleep, This is the day I am to perfect for him The magisterium, our great work, the stone; And yield it, made, into his hands: of which He has, this month, talked as he were possessed. And now he’s dealing pieces on’t away.— Methinks I see him entering ordinaries, Dispensing for the pox, and plaguey houses, Reaching his dose, walking Moorfields for lepers, And offering citizens’ wives pomander-bracelets, As his preservative, made of the elixir; Searching the spittal, to make old bawds young; And the highways, for beggars, to make rich. I see no end of his labours. He will make Nature ashamed of her long sleep: when art, Who’s but a step-dame, shall do more than she, In her best love to mankind, ever could: If his dream lasts, he’ll turn the age to gold.” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 149 | 15 | ## 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. - Lovewit and Dame Pliant - Tribulation Wholesome and Dame Pliant - Drugger and 1 Neighbour - Drugger and 2 Neighbour - Drugger and 6 Neighbour - Drugger and 3 Neighbour - Drugger and 4 Neighbour - Drugger and 5 Neighbour - Dapper and Dame Pliant - Dapper and 2 Officer - Dapper and 1 Officer - Dame Pliant and 1 Neighbour ## Questions actors ask ### Who has the most lines in The Alchemist? Face, with about 1,060 lines and 8,216 words, 31.3% of everything spoken in the play. Subtle is next, with about 898 lines (26.5%). ### How long is The Alchemist? The full text has 26,219 spoken words, about 187 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 The Alchemist? 21 named roles speak in this edition, across 11 scenes. 10 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/ben-jonson/the-alchemist) (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).