How many lines does Shylock have in The Merchant of Venice?

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

Shylock has about 351 lines in The Merchant of Venice: 2,874 words in 79 speeches, 13.8% of the play, and the second-largest part. The role speaks in 5 of the 20 scenes, and its longest wait is 4 scenes in a row without a line.

Shylock speaks in only five scenes, yet he is the second-largest part, about a seventh of the words. The bond scene in Act 1, Scene 3 is his biggest, Act 3, Scene 1 holds the prose of “Hath not a Jew eyes?”, and the trial in Act 4, Scene 1 holds his longest speech. He leaves the trial defeated and does not appear in Act 5.

Lines: 351
Words: 2,874
Share of play: 13.8%
Speech time: 21 min

67% of the words are verse. 79 speeches means about 79 cues to learn.

Scene by scene

Scene	Words	Minutes
Act 1, Scene 3	1,024	7.3
Act 2, Scene 5	302	2.2
Act 3, Scene 1	592	4.2
Act 3, Scene 3	136	1.0
Act 4, Scene 1	820	5.9

The longest speeches

Speech	Scene	Words
“I have possess’d your grace of what I purpose;”	Act 4, Scene 1	228
“To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,…”	Act 3, Scene 1	194
“Signior Antonio, many a time and oft”	Act 1, Scene 3	185
“What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?”	Act 4, Scene 1	131
“Why, there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, c…”	Act 3, Scene 1	129
“No, not take interest, not, as you would say,”	Act 1, Scene 3	119
“Oh, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a g…”	Act 1, Scene 3	109
“What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica:”	Act 2, Scene 5	96

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	36
3 weeks	24
4 weeks	18
6 weeks	12

Questions actors ask