1. Julius Caesar in Iambic
You’ll learn to love this…

2. Blank Verse Unrhymed lines of poetry written in iambic pentameter
This is what most of Julius Caesar is written in

3. Iambic Pentameter What is Iambic Pentameter?
Iambic: one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable
A set of one unstressed and one stressed is called a foot
Penta: means five
Iambic Pentameter is a single line of five feet written in iambic

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

5. 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!”
~Marullus in Act

6. Why Iambic Pentameter?
Iambic Pentameter is the meter that most closely resembles normal human speech patterns.
But why use meter at all?
Authors can creates effects with meter:
The commoners speak in prose
Those in high society speak in iambic
Act 1.1 is an example of this

7. Why Else Iambic Pentameter?
Suddenly changing a pattern, like the meter, makes the ear stop and take note of the change.
The change allows the author to emphasize an idea.

8. What is Being Emphasized in this Passage? sound it out…just TRY 
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”

9. Answer
/ U / / U / U / / /
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
U / U / U / U / U /
The valiant never taste of death but once.
U / U / U / U / U /
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
U / U / U / U / U /
It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
/ U U / U / U U /
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
U / U / U /
Will come when it will come.”
Notice the change in rhythm – this is for emphasis
Notice the change in rhythm – this is for emphasis

10. Pretty Cool, huh?
Seriously, how can you not love iambic pentameter? Doesn’t it just make you want to speak in iambic for the rest of your days?