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Prose and Poetry
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Words or ideas are arranged in no fixed pattern of strong or weak beats Often used for “common” speech, by lower class characters Example: Sir Toby says, “What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care’s an enemy to life” (1.3.1-2). Prose
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Up until the late 1500s, all English plays were written in verse (poetry). Hence, playwrights in Shakespeare’s day were called poets. Audiences in Shakespeare’s day expected to hear the actors speak in verse. Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be heard (they weren’t published in his day, and most of the population was illiterate anyway) This rhythm made it easier to follow Background: Poetry
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Place your right hand over your heart You’ll feel the familiar thump: DA- DUM, DA- DUM, DA- DUM, DA- DUM This rhythm is called “iambic” in other words, the weak beat is first and the strong beat is second: DA- DUM, DA- DUM How the rhythm works: Iambic
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Although Because Unless Today Perhaps For sure I think Indeed delight Some words with iambic rhythm:
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Trochaic rhythm puts stress on the first syllable: Happy Frightened Lovely Certain Starving Roasting Love it Bring it…. Shakespeare Compare to trochaic rhythm:
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“Pente” means “five” “Pentameter” means 5 strong beats per line In total, there will be 10 syllables per line (5 strong beats and 5 weak beats) u / u / u / u / u / But soft what light through yonder window breaks? (Romeo and Juliet)… OR… Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I’ll serve this Duke; How it works: Pentameter
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Each line of iambic pentameter can be broken down like this: How sweet (1) the moon (2) light sleeps (3) upon (4) this bank! (5) If mu- (1) sic be (2) the food (3) of love (4) play on (5) It is (1) to hard (2) a knot (3) for me (4) to untie (5) I wish (1) my class (2) would read (3) Twelfth Night (4) at home (5) If on- (1) ly kids (2) could love(3) the Bard (4) like me (5) Iambic Pentameter
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Iambic pentameter that does not rhyme is called blank verse Example: She made good view of me; indeed, so much That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue, For she did speak in starts distractedly. She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion Invites me in this churlish messenger. Blank verse…
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A 14 line poem Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets Sometimes characters’ lines combine to make a sonnet Sonnet
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ROMEO [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. JULIET Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. ROMEO Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Sonnet from Romeo and Juliet :
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Two rhyming lines are called a rhyming couplet A rhyming couplet will usually complete a long speech or a scene Example: To woo your lady… yet, a barful strife! Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife. (1.4. 41-42) Rhyming couplet
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Speech spoken by one person, seemingly to himself/herself but really to inform the audience of his motives and to reveal true character. Often is it a kind of internal debate. Example: Olivia, after Cesario departs in 1.5.297-301: I do not know what, and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind. Fate, show thy force; ourselves we do not owe. What is decreed must be, and be this so. Soliloquy
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Actor’s comment or a short speech meant to be heard by the audience and not by other performers Example: Viola to the Duke: I’ll do my best To woo your lady; [Aside] yet, a barful strife! Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife. (1.4.40-42) Aside
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Gibson, Rex, and Field-Pickering, Janet. Discovering Shakespeare’s Language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print. “Stressing Shakespeare.” Literary Cavalcade 54.7 (2002): 10. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 16 May 2013. Sources:
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