How many lines does Lady Bracknell have in The Importance of Being Earnest?
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 Bracknell has about 326 lines in The Importance of Being Earnest: 2,883 words in 84 speeches, 16.2% of the play, and the third-largest part. The role speaks in 2 of the 3 scenes.
Lady Bracknell appears in the first and third acts only, but she has more words than Gwendolen or Cecily. The famous handbag exchange is in the first act; it is prose built on precise rhythm.
- Lines
- 326
- Words
- 2,883
- Share of play
- 16.2%
- Speech time
- 21 min
0% of the words are verse. 84 speeches means about 84 cues to learn.
Scene by scene
| Scene | Words | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | 1,231 | 8.8 |
| Act 3 | 1,652 | 11.8 |
The longest speeches
| Speech | Scene | Words |
|---|---|---|
| “Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is hig…” | Act 1 | 171 |
| “Come here. Sit down. Sit down immediately. Hesitat…” | Act 3 | 145 |
| “A moment, Mr. Worthing. A hundred and thirty thous…” | Act 3 | 127 |
| “The line is immaterial. Mr. Worthing, I confess I …” | Act 1 | 123 |
| “That does not seem to me to be a grave objection. …” | Act 3 | 102 |
| “I do not know whether there is anything peculiarly…” | Act 3 | 96 |
| “Pardon me, you are not engaged to anyone. When you…” | Act 1 | 92 |
| “Prism! Come here, Prism! Prism! Where is that baby…” | Act 3 | 91 |
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 | 33 |
| 3 weeks | 22 |
| 4 weeks | 17 |
| 6 weeks | 11 |
Questions actors ask
How many lines does Lady Bracknell have in The Importance of Being Earnest?
About 326 lines: 0 lines of verse and 2,883 words of prose. That is 2,883 words in 84 speeches, 16.2% of the play and the third-largest part.
How long is Lady Bracknell’s longest speech?
171 words, in Act 1, beginning “Well, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr. Bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or to die. This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd. Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider it morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others. Health is the primary duty of life. I am always telling that to your poor uncle, but he never seems to take much notice … as far as any improvement in his ailment goes. I should be much obliged if you would ask Mr. Bunbury, from me, to be kind enough not to have a relapse on Saturday, for I rely on you to arrange my music for me. It is my last reception, and one wants something that will encourage conversation, particularly at the end of the season when everyone has practically said whatever they had to say, which, in most cases, was probably not much.” At 140 words a minute it runs about 1.2 minutes.
How long does it take to learn Lady Bracknell?
To be off book in three weeks, learning five days a week, plan on about 22 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
- The Importance of Being Earnest: every role by lines, words, and stage timeOscar Wilde. Line counts, scenes, and the longest speeches.
- Acting Verbs: A Working List of Actions and How to Use ThemWhat an action verb is in acting, why it has to be something you do to another person, a working list grouped by what each verb does, a scene from The Importance of Being Earnest actioned line by line, and how to change tactics when one stops working.
- How many lines does Lady Macbeth have in Macbeth?Lines, words, scenes, the longest speeches, and a plan to learn the part.
- Practical Aesthetics: The Four-Step Script Analysis, With a Worked SceneWhat Practical Aesthetics is, and how to write a literal, a want, an essential action, and an as-if for a real scene, with a worked example from The Importance of Being Earnest and the mistakes that make each step useless.