The Trachiniae: every role by lines, words, and stage time

Sophocles, translated by Francis Storr. 10 speaking roles, 9,744 words, about 70 minutes of speech.

The Offbook team

Oct 8, 2026

Deianira has the most to say in The Trachiniae: about 386 lines and 3,108 words, 31.9% of the play. Sophocles’ tragedy follows Deianira, the wife of Heracles, who sends him a robe smeared with what she believes is a love charm. Deianira carries nearly a third of the words. Heracles arrives only in the closing part of the play, yet he still holds about a sixth, on par with the Chorus and Hyllus.

Speaking roles: 10
Scenes: Continuous
Words: 9,744
Speech time: 70 min

Every role, largest first

Role	Lines	Words	Share	Minutes	Scenes
Deianira	386	3,108	31.9%	22.2	1
Heracles	201	1,559	16%	11.1	1
Chorus	234	1,453	14.9%	10.4	1
Hyllus	180	1,406	14.4%	10.0	1
Lichas	118	905	9.3%	6.5	1
Messenger	83	628	6.4%	4.5	1
Nurse	75	571	5.9%	4.1	1
Old Man	13	80	0.8%	0.6	1
Semi-Chorus 1	3	20	0.2%	0.1	1
Semi-Chorus 2	2	14	0.1%	0.1	1

The longest speeches

Speech	Words	Lines
Hyllus: “As thou must hear it, I must tell thee all.”	538	66
Heracles: “Many and grievous, not in name alone,”	522	68
Deianira: “Friends, while our herald guest is in the house”	503	61
Deianira: “My friends, a thing has come to pass, so strange”	424	52
Deianira: “There is an old-world saying current still,”	406	51
Nurse: “’Twas passing strange, but when ye hear the tale”	386	49
Lichas: “Not so; that time he mostly was detained”	342	44
Deianira: “Doubtless ye must have heard of my distress,”	290	38
Deianira: “Nay, by the god, I pray, who hurls his bolts”	281	33
Chorus: “Child of star-bespangled Night,”	252	41

Questions actors ask

Who has the most lines in The Trachiniae?

Deianira, with about 386 lines and 3,108 words, 31.9% of everything spoken in the play. Heracles is next, with about 201 lines (16%).

How long is The Trachiniae?

The full text has 9,744 spoken words, about 70 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 Trachiniae?

10 named roles speak in this edition, in one continuous text with no scene breaks. 3 of them have less than 2% of the words, which is why small parts are often doubled.