1. Understanding the Bard
Reading Shakespeare
Understanding the Bard

2. Do any of these expressions sound familiar?
elbow room
star-crossed lovers
seen better days
not budge an inch
one fell swoop
foul play
without rhyme or reason
They all found their way into our daily language through the plays of William Shakespeare.

3. Understanding Shakespeare’s Language
To get the most from reading Shakespeare’s works,
Watch for footnotes as you read.
Footnotes define archaic words or familiar words with unfamiliar meanings.
Footnotes also explain idioms of the time and historical background.
Let the punctuation guide your reading.
Do not pause or stop at the end of a line unless you see punctuation there.
Do pause or stop for punctuation that occurs in the middle of a line.

4. Understanding Shakespeare’s Language
Archaic words are words that are no longer commonly used in modern English. Here are a few examples:
Hence, whence, and thence mean from here, from where, and from there.
An ague is a fever, and a smatch is a small amount.
Some familiar words in Shakespeare’s plays have different meanings than the ones we use today.
A closet is a small, private room, and to repair is to go; thus, a character might repair to his closet in a Shakespeare play.

5. Poetry vs. Prose
Dialogue in Shakespeare’s plays is presented in either poetry or prose form.
Pay attention to which form a character’s speech uses, because the form can give you information about that character’s importance or rank.
Poetry is usually used for the speech of important or noble characters.
Prose is usually used for the speech of less-important or lower-ranking characters.
In special situations, a high-ranking character may speak in prose or a low-ranking character may speak in poetry.

6. Shakespeare’s Use of Poetry
Poetic dialogue may be either blank verse or rhymed verse.
Blank verse is unrhymed but has a distinct rhythm. Shakespeare’s poetry often follows a rhythm called iambic pentameter, in which ten syllables alternate between unstressed and stressed. Here is an example from Julius Caesar:
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interrèd with their bones.
˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´
˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´

7. Shakespeare’s Use of Poetry
Shakespeare sometimes divides a line of poetry between two or more characters. The division may be shown by beginning the next character’s part of the line just after, but one line below, the previous part. Here is an example from Julius Caesar:
˘ ´
Who’s there?
Casca A Roman.
Cassius Casca, by your voice.
˘ ´ ˘
´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´
Cassius.

8. Shakespeare’s Use of Poetry
Like blank verse, rhymed dialogue also follows a distinct rhythm, usually iambic pentameter. Rhymes may occur at the ends of alternating lines, or at the ends of two lines next to each other (called a couplet).
Rhymed dialogue may focus on love.
A rhymed couplet may summarize, foreshadow, or dramatically close out a scene. This couplet closes a scene and foreshadows a battle in Julius Caesar:
’Tis three o’clock; and, Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight.
˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ´
˘ ´ ˘ ´ ˘ ˘ ˘ ´ ˘ ´

9. Shakespeare’s Use of Prose
Prose lacks a consistent rhythm and sounds like ordinary speech. Shakespeare used prose for common characters and for humorous, friendly, or casual dialogue. Notice the lack of consistent rhythm in this commoner’s speech from Julius Caesar:
Cobbler. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl:° I meddle with no tradesman’s matters, nor women’s matters; but withal,° I am indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes: when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat’s leather° have gone upon my handiwork.
awl: sharp, pointed tool for making holes in wood or leather.
withal: nevertheless.
neat’s leather: leather from cattle.

10. Let’s Practice
Try putting this passage from Julius Caesar into your own words:
Brutus.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
[Enter the GHOST of Caesar.]
How ill this taper burns. Ha! Who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me. Art thou anything?

11. Let’s Practice
First, read the passage while paying attention to punctuation. Also, note what the use of poetry or prose might tell you about the character, subject, or tone.
Brutus.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
[Enter the GHOST of Caesar.]
How ill this taper burns. Ha! Who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me. Art thou anything?

12. Let’s Practice
Then, pick out words or phrases that sound archaic or confusing. Use any footnotes provided.
ºupon: toward
Brutus.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
[Enter the GHOST of Caesar.]
How ill this taper burns. Ha! Who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon° me. Art thou anything?

13. Let’s Practice Here is one way to rephrase the passage: Brutus.
Let me see, let me see; didn’t I dog-ear the page
Where I left off reading this book? Here’s my place, I think.
[The GHOST of Caesar enters.]
The light from this candle is weak. Hey! Who’s there?
My vision is fuzzy; I must be seeing things.
No, it’s coming toward me. What are you?

14. On Your Own
Rephrase the following passage from the final scene of Julius Caesar in your own words. Note what form the dialogue takes (prose, blank verse, or rhymed verse) and what the form tells you about the speaker, subject, or tone.
Brutus.
Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
Strato.
Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
Farewell, good Strato—Caesar, now be still;
I killed not thee with half so good a will [Dies.]

15. The End