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

2. 5 x ta DUM = Iambic Pentameter
taDUM, taDUM, taDUM, taDUM, taDUM
Each line will have 10 syllables
The line will begin with an unaccented syllable: ta
And alternate with the next syllable that is accented: DUM
In other words, 5 sets of taDUM
Explain this in a different way…

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
TaDum!: Iambic pentameter imitates human speech and the human heartbeat!

4. Blank Verse Unrhymed lines of poetry written in iambic pentameter
This is what most of Julius Caesar is written in
Of course, there is some end rhyme and some internal rhyme – depends on the effect Shakespeare wants

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

6. 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

7. Why Iambic Pentameter?
Iambic Pentameter is the meter that most closely resembles normal human speech patterns.
But why use meter at all?
You can do things with meter:
The commoners often speak in prose
Those in high society speak in iambic (usually)
Act 1.1 is an example of this