Why does Shakespeare sound the way it does?

3 styles of writing in Shakespeare’s plays prose rhymed verse blank verse

prose prose is writing which resembles everyday speech often used by Shakepeare for ‘lower-class’ characters (but not always so…) lacks meter and rhyme and is informal Shakespeare used both prose and verse in his plays

rhymed verse characters who are of the ‘higher class’ speak in poetic form their words have form, meter and rhyme rhymed verse in Shakespeare is usually in rhymed couplets, which is two successive lines of verse of which the final lines of verse rhyme with each other

blank verse blank verse is used in a wide range of situations because it comes close to the natural speaking rhythms of English but raises it above the ordinary without sounding artificial compared to prose, blank verse may suggest a refinement of character blank verse uses unrhymed iambic pentameter (what’s that?)

blank verse most of Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet and all of Richard II is written in blank verse sometimes Shakespeare is sneaky and hides a sonnet (with rhymed lines) in the dialogue, like when Romeo first met Juliet in the ballroom scene…(yup, they speak poetry to each other on the first date, it’s that cool…)

definition iamb – a foot (pair of syllable) containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable penta: means five iambic pentameter is a single line of five feet written in iambic iambic pentameter A line of poetry that contains five pairs of iambs (10 syllables in total)

Iambic Pentameter = A metric line of poetry containing 5 iambic feet. Foot: the smallest repeated pattern of stressed (/) and unstressed (U) syllables in a poetic line. Iamb: a foot in which an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. Meter of a Verse: is measured by counting and identifying the number of feet and type of feet composing it. Pentameter: five feet (penta meaning five) Iambic Pentameter = A metric line of poetry containing 5 iambic feet. U /

okay, so iambic pentameter is a kind of rhythm… if it’s just one kind of rhythm, why is it so important?

iambic pentameter is the meter (rhythm) that most closely resembles human speech patterns

commoners / plebians / characters from the lower social class speak in prose, while the higher social class speak in verse but sometimes, the higher class speak in prose, when conversing with the lower class or when they are anxious iambic pentameter as a rule works when it is followed AND when it is broken

sometimes breaks in the rhythmic pattern add contrast or emphasis may signal pauses, cause tension, allow for ‘acting time’ 

Ben Crystal, Shakespeare Scholar and Actor, believes the meter Shakespeare wrote in was designed to give his actors stage direction, giving them vital clues about how the lines should be read, and how the characters should interact with one another

the aural variety also helps keep the audience engaged that is why we have to use proper intonation when speaking, not just to communicate effectively, but to engage

lets look at an example from act 1 scene 1 pg 25, lines 1-6 observe the contrast between the tribunes and the commoners/plebians

as the encounter progresses though… pg 27 what do you notice about the Tribunes’ speech? How do you think they are affected by the plebians’ replies?

let’s observe the way Marullus scolds the plebians pg 29 Wherefore rejoice? What conquests brings he home? …You blocks you stones you worse than senseless things

Iambic Pentameter Examples Unstressed U / U / U / U “You blocks, you stones, you worse than / U / senseless things!” Stressed One foot

Iambic Pentameter Examples U / U / U / U / “Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings U / he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!”

let’s go back to some interesting examples in our handout and move from observing it, to writing about it and its effect and significance

Knowing what iambic pentameter is and how Shakespeare uses it will lead to a deeper understanding of the characters and how they think and interact It’s not really about counting syllables or memorising terms. It’s about noticing pauses, changes in pace, differences in tone or status and emphasis on particular ideas, then analysing their significance