By William Shakespeare

Today’s Learning Goal I will be able to define Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse in my own words and explain why it is important to understanding the complexity of Shakespearean drama by taking notes and completing a practice worksheet.

Iambic Pentameter 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. numbertypeMeter 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 Iambic Pentameter = A metric line of poetry containing 5 iambic feet. U /

Examples of Iambic pentameter “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” “But, SOFT! What LIGHT through YONder WINdow BREAKS?” “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg”

Blank Verse Poetic form characterized by unrhymed lines written in iambic pentameter. It must be for his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crowned. How that might change his nature, there’s the question. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime decline; By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed;  Blank Verse Sonnet 

Shakespearean Drama and Blank Verse Julius Caesar is written in blank verse. Shakespeare’s uses iambic pentameter to contrast the rank/status/birth of his characters and to add emphasis: –“Upperclass” characters speak in iambic pentameter –“Lower-born” characters speak in prose –Sometimes breaks the rhythmic pattern in a line to add contrast or emphasis

Exit Reflection In a brief paragraph, define blank verse and explain why this poetic device is important to understanding Shakespearean drama.

Exit Reflection In a brief paragraph, explain how blank verse is used in Act II, scene i and explain why it is important to the plot.