1. G ETTING INTO S HAKESPEARE ’ S R HYTHM Kate Hendrix Introduction to Theatre Arts Madison Central High School Adapted from Shakespeare Set Free by the Folger Shakespeare Library

2. O N A SCRAP PIECE OF PAPER … Write down the lyrics to a song – any song… Now, think about the following… How long have you had this song in your memory? What is the song about? Why did you remember it? What helped you remember it? Shakespeare’s plays (most of the time) have distinctive verse (rhyme) and repetitive beats (rhythm) in regular patterns. He wrote this way primarily to help actors memorize their lines!

3. N URSERY R HYMES Jack and Jill Went up the hill To fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down And broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after. Eencey Weencey spider Climbed up the water spout; Down came the rain And washed the spider out; Out came the sun And dried up all the rain; And the Eencey Weencey spider Climbed up the spout again.

4. I N THE SPEECH “T HE KING DOTH KEEP HIS REVELS HERE TONIGHT …” How many TOTAL beats are in each line? How many STRONG beats are in each line? What is the pattern for weak beats and strong beats? Is that true for every line?

5. W HAT THE HECK IS I AMBIC P ENTAMETER, ANYWAY ?

6. W HICH OF THE FOLLOWING LINES IS WRITTEN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER ? 1) If we shadows have offended 2) No more yielding but a dream 3) Take heed the queen come not within his sight 4) Think but this and all is mended

7. ANSWER: “T AKE HEED THE QUEEN COME NOT WITHIN HIS SIGHT ” How do you know??

8. IAMBIC PENTAMETER A pattern of beats (syllables) consisting of one strong beat and its corresponding short beat(s) is called a foot An iambic foot (also called an iamb ) is a pattern of 2 beats where the first beat is weak (unstressed) and the second is strong (stressed) Penta = 5 Pentameter = 5 strong beats per line Therefore…IAMBIC PENTAMETER is a line consisting of five iambs…five iambic feet In other words, there are 10 syllables with the pattern: weak strong, weak strong, weak strong, weak strong, weak strong

9. A CTING C OMPANIES – A CT 2, S CENE 1 Begin on Puck’s first line (“The king doth keep his revels here tonight…”) and continue to his last line on p. 1 (“But, room, fairy! Here comes Oberon.”) Stress rhythm when reading Who are the new characters? What is the new setting? How is it different from Athens? What is the new mood? List, in your own words, the mischievous tricks played by Puck List, in your own words, the kindnesses that Puck performs for humans PARAPHRASE the scene