What's a line?

Question:In a play, what is considered a line? Is it per sentence, or does it refer to the dialogue of a character?

i.e. in Ibsen's "A Doll House"

Nora (Looking at him): After that?
Rank: I have to. You musn't punish me like this. Give me the chance to do whatever is humany possible for you.

Now, is that considered 2 lines (for 2 character dialogues) or 4 (for either 4 sentences or 4 lines taken on the page).

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: In a play, what is considered a line? Is it per sentence, or does it refer to the dialogue of a character?

i.e. in Ibsen's "A Doll House"

Nora (Looking at him): After that?
Rank: I have to. You musn't punish me like this. Give me the chance to do whatever is humany possible for you.

Now, is that considered 2 lines (for 2 character dialogues) or 4 (for either 4 sentences or 4 lines taken on the page).

The previous responders are correct about what constitutes a line. However, I can't let that reference to MacBETH's "To be or not to be" soliloquy slide. I'm going to assume that was a slip. I believe you meant HAMLET's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, or maybe MacBETH's "Is this a dagger I see before me?" soliloquy.

In any case, a "line" is everything a character says until someone else starts speaking.

The confusion arises because a "line" of verse--say, of iambic pentameter--is strictly one line on the page. But this is not typically what is meant when one speaks of a "line" of dialogue.

That's two lines.

That would be considered two lines. Whatever an actor says, whether it be "yes." or Macbeth's To Be or not to Be soliloquy, one segment of dialogue by an actor is a line. :)