# The Conscious Lovers: every role by lines, words, and stage time

> Richard Steele. 16 speaking roles, 23,392 words, about 167 minutes of speech.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/plays/the-conscious-lovers
- Last updated: 2026-10-08

**Bevil Jr.** has the most to say in The Conscious Lovers: about 509 lines and 4,495 words, 19.2% of the play. Steele’s sentimental comedy follows Bevil Jr., who is promised by his father to one woman while he quietly supports and loves another, Indiana. Bevil Jr. leads with about a fifth of the words. Indiana is the second-largest part, yet she speaks in only 2 of 11 scenes, and the servants Tom and Phillis have parts nearly as large.

- Speaking roles: 16
- Scenes: 11
- Words: 23,392
- Speech time: 167 min

## Every role, largest first

| Role | Lines | Words | Share | Minutes | Scenes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bevil Jr. | 509 | 4,495 | 19.2% | 32.1 | 5 |
| Indiana | 283 | 2,477 | 10.6% | 17.7 | 2 |
| Tom | 276 | 2,467 | 10.5% | 17.6 | 6 |
| Phillis | 241 | 2,146 | 9.2% | 15.3 | 4 |
| John Bevil | 236 | 2,068 | 8.8% | 14.8 | 4 |
| Mr. Sealand | 211 | 1,849 | 7.9% | 13.2 | 3 |
| Myrtle | 196 | 1,733 | 7.4% | 12.4 | 5 |
| Humphry | 179 | 1,478 | 6.3% | 10.6 | 4 |
| Isabella | 123 | 1,075 | 4.6% | 7.7 | 2 |
| Cimberton | 113 | 960 | 4.1% | 6.9 | 3 |
| Mrs. Sealand | 104 | 917 | 3.9% | 6.6 | 3 |
| Lucinda | 112 | 915 | 3.9% | 6.5 | 3 |
| Bramble | 52 | 476 | 2% | 3.4 | 1 |
| Boy | 25 | 209 | 0.9% | 1.5 | 2 |
| Target | 16 | 112 | 0.5% | 0.8 | 1 |
| Servant | 2 | 13 | 0.1% | 0.1 | 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; 2.1 = Act 2, Scene 1; 2.2 = Act 2, Scene 2; 3.1 = Act 3, Scene 1; 4.1 = Act 4, Scene 1; 4.2 = Act 4, Scene 2; 4.3 = Act 4, Scene 3; 5.1 = Act 5, Scene 1; 5.2 = Act 5, Scene 2; 5.3 = Act 5, Scene 3.

- **Bevil Jr.**: 1.2 (1,599), 2.1 (789), 2.2 (857), 4.1 (1,170), 5.3 (80)
- **Indiana**: 2.2 (1,574), 5.3 (903)
- **Tom**: 1.1 (1,288), 1.2 (86), 2.1 (3), 3.1 (735), 4.1 (269), 4.3 (86)
- **Phillis**: 1.1 (548), 3.1 (864), 4.3 (538), 5.1 (196)
- **John Bevil**: 1.1 (898), 1.2 (368), 4.2 (672), 5.3 (130)
- **Mr. Sealand**: 4.2 (765), 5.2 (188), 5.3 (896)
- **Myrtle**: 2.1 (494), 4.1 (617), 4.3 (169), 5.1 (321), 5.3 (132)
- **Humphry**: 1.1 (761), 1.2 (432), 4.2 (176), 5.2 (109)
- **Isabella**: 2.2 (735), 5.3 (340)
- **Cimberton**: 3.1 (742), 5.1 (104), 5.3 (114)
- **Mrs. Sealand**: 3.1 (600), 5.1 (303), 5.3 (14)
- **Lucinda**: 3.1 (687), 5.1 (204), 5.3 (24)
- **Bramble**: 3.1 (476)

## The longest speeches

| Speech | Scene | Words | Lines |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bevil Jr.: “I put on a serenity while my fellow was present; but I have never been more thoroughly disturbed. This hot man! to write me a challenge, on supposed artificial dealing, when I professed myself his friend! I can live contented without glory; but I cannot suffer shame. What’s to be done? But first let me consider Lucinda’s letter again.” | Act 4, Scene 1 | 378 | 38 |
| John Bevil: “Ay, he followed us till the gentleman who led the lady in the Indian mantle presented that gay creature to the rustic, and bid him (like Cymon in the fable) grow polite by falling in love, and let that worthy old gentleman alone, meaning me. The clown was not reformed, but rudely persisted, and offered to force off my mask; with that, the gentleman, throwing off his own, appeared to be my son, and in his concern for me, tore off that of the nobleman; at this they seized each other; the company called the guards, and in the surprise the lady swooned away; upon which my son quitted his adversary, and had now no care but of the lady. When raising her in his arms, “Art thou gone,” cried he, “forever?—forbid it, Heaven!” She revived at his known voice, and with the most familiar, though modest, gesture, hangs in safety over his shoulder weeping, but wept as in the arms of one before whom she could give herself a loose, were she not under observation; while she hides her face in his neck, he carefully conveys her from the company.” | Act 1, Scene 1 | 192 | 20 |
| Bevil Jr.: “His fears were just; for there I first saw this lady. She is of English birth: her father’s name was Danvers—a younger brother of an ancient family, and originally an eminent merchant of Bristol, who, upon repeated misfortunes, was reduced to go privately to the Indies. In this retreat, Providence again grew favourable to his industry, and, in six years’ time, restored him to his former fortunes. On this he sent directions over that his wife and little family should follow him to the Indies. His wife, impatient to obey such welcome orders, would not wait the leisure of a convoy, but took the first occasion of a single ship, and, with her husband’s sister only, and this daughter, then scarce seven years old, undertook the fatal voyage—for here, poor creature, she lost her liberty and life. She and her family, with all they had, were, unfortunately, taken by a privateer from Toulon. Being thus made a prisoner, though as such not ill-treated, yet the fright, the shock, and cruel disappointment, seized with such violence upon her unhealthy frame, she sickened, pined, and died at sea.” | Act 1, Scene 2 | 188 | 19 |
| Bevil Jr.: “These moral writers practise virtue after death. This charming vision of Mirza! Such an author consulted in a morning sets the spirit for the vicissitudes of the day better than the glass does a man’s person. But what a day have I to go through! to put on an easy look with an aching heart! If this lady my father urges me to marry should not refuse me, my dilemma is insupportable. But why should I fear it? Is not she in equal distress with me? Has not the letter I have sent her this morning confessed my inclination to another? Nay, have I not moral assurances of her engagements, too, to my friend Myrtle? It’s impossible but she must give in to it; for, sure, to be denied is a favour any man may pretend to. It must be so—Well, then, with the assurance of being rejected, I think I may confidently say to my father, I am ready to marry her. Then let me resolve upon, what I am not very good at, though it is an honest dissimulation.” | Act 1, Scene 2 | 182 | 19 |
| Bevil Jr.: “Well, this is another instance of the perplexities which arise, too, in faithful friendship. We must often in this life go on in our good offices, even under the displeasure of those to whom we do them, in compassion to their weaknesses and mistakes.—But all this while poor Indiana is tortured with the doubt of me. She has no support or comfort but in my fidelity, yet sees me daily pressed to marriage with another. How painful, in such a crisis, must be every hour she thinks on me! I’ll let her see at least my conduct to her is not changed. I’ll take this opportunity to visit her; for though the religious vow I have made to my father restrains me from ever marrying without his approbation, yet that confines me not from seeing a virtuous woman that is the pure delight of my eyes and the guiltless joy of my heart. But the best condition of human life is but a gentler misery—” | Act 2, Scene 1 | 181 | 19 |
| Lucinda: “I shall soon know as much as you do; leave me, leave me, Phillis, begone. Here, here! I’ll turn you out. My mother says I must not converse with my servants, though I must converse with no one else.” | Act 3, Scene 1 | 162 | 17 |
| Phillis: “What a deal of pother and sputter here is between my mistress and Mr. Myrtle from mere punctilio! I could, any hour of the day, get her to her lover, and would do it—but she, forsooth, will allow no plot to get him; but, if he can come to her, I know she would be glad of it. I must, therefore, do her an acceptable violence, and surprise her into his arms. I am sure I go by the best rule imaginable. If she were my maid, I should think her the best servant in the world for doing so by me.” | Act 4, Scene 3 | 144 | 15 |
| Indiana: “Well, be not so eager. If he is an ill man, let us look into his stratagems. Here is another of them. Here’s two hundred and fifty pounds in bank notes, with these words: “To pay for the set of dressing-plate which will be brought home tomorrow.” Why, dear aunt, now here’s another piece of skill for you, which I own I cannot comprehend; and it is with a bleeding heart I hear you say anything to the disadvantage of Mr. Bevil. When he is present I look upon him as one to whom I owe my life and the support of it; then, again, as the man who loves me with sincerity and honour. When his eyes are cast another way, and I dare survey him, my heart is painfully divided between shame and love. Oh! could I tell you—” | Act 2, Scene 2 | 141 | 15 |
| Tom: “Well, Phillis! What, with a face as if you had never seen me before!—What a work have I to do now? She has seen some new visitant at their house whose airs she has caught, and is resolved to practise them upon me. Numberless are the changes she’ll dance through before she’ll answer this plain question: videlicet, have you delivered my master’s letter to your lady? Nay, I know her too well to ask an account of it in an ordinary way; I’ll be in my airs as well as she. —Well, madam, as unhappy as you are at present pleased to make me, I would not, in the general, be any other than what I am. I would not be a bit wiser, a bit richer, a bit taller, a bit shorter than I am at this instant.” | Act 3, Scene 1 | 140 | 14 |
| Indiana: “If you say this from what you think of me, you wrong yourself and him. Let not me, miserable though I may be, do injury to my benefactor. No, sir, my treatment ought rather to reconcile you to his virtues. If to bestow without a prospect of return; if to delight in supporting what might, perhaps, be thought an object of desire, with no other view than to be her guard against those who would not be so disinterested; if these actions, sir, can in a careful parent’s eye commend him to a daughter, give yours, sir, give her to my honest, generous Bevil. What have I to do but sigh, and weep, and rave, run wild, a lunatic in chains, or, hid in darkness, mutter in distracted starts and broken accents my strange, strange story!” | Act 5, Scene 3 | 136 | 14 |

## 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.

- Isabella and Bramble
- Isabella and Target
- Cimberton and Servant
- Mrs. Sealand and Servant
- Lucinda and Servant
- Bramble and Boy
- Bramble and Servant
- Boy and Target
- Boy and Servant
- Target and Servant

## Questions actors ask

### Who has the most lines in The Conscious Lovers?

Bevil Jr., with about 509 lines and 4,495 words, 19.2% of everything spoken in the play. Indiana is next, with about 283 lines (10.6%).

### How long is The Conscious Lovers?

The full text has 23,392 spoken words, about 167 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 Conscious Lovers?

16 named roles speak in this edition, across 11 scenes. 3 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/richard-steele/the-conscious-lovers) (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).