Wiki Page, Oklahoma High School- Drama/Theatre Course (OK Art Tech): 7.3 The Language of Shakespeare

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2025-03-06T08:26:19-06:00

The Language of Shakespeare

Iambic pentameter

Iambic pentameter (ai-AM-buhk pen-TA-muh-tr) is a speech rhythm natural to the English language. Iambic pentameter is a type of rhythm that has ten syllables with alternating stressed and unstressed beats. It is often used in verse, poetry, and different styles of music, such as pop songs. It is a basic rhythm pleasing to the ear and closely resembles the rhythm of everyday speech or a heartbeat. Shakespeare used iambic pentameter because it closely resembles the rhythm of everyday speech. Watch the video below to explore the in-depth functions of iambic pentameter.

Iambic= unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable (da-DUM)

Pentameter= five of the da-DUM pairs per line

Video: Why Shakespeare loved iambic pentameter - David T. Freeman and Gregory Taylor

TED-Ed. (2015, Jan 27). Why Shakespeare loved iambic pentameter - David T. Freeman and Gregory Taylor. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/I5lsuyUNu_4?feature=shared

Click on the button at the bottom of the video to access the closed captions.

Shakespeare Example

Look at Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 below. A sonnet is a type of poem. This particular sonnet was written to praise his beloved's beauty and describe how their beauty is preferable to a summer's day. All sonnets have 14 lines and are written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets!

The emphasized portions (all capital letters) below allow you to see the accented syllables. This creates the rhythmic "da=DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM" pattern like a heartbeat that makes the words flow naturally when read aloud.

Notice how the first syllable of each line is not accented.

Notice how the last syllable of each line is accented.

Emphasize the capital letters as you read.

Sonnet 18

Shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY?

Thou ART more LOVEly AND more TEMPerATE:

Rough WINDS do SHAKE thy DARling BUDS of MAY,

And SUMmer's LEASE hath ALL too SHORT a DATE:

SomeTIME too HOT the EYE of HEAVen SHINES,

And OFTen IS his GOLD comPLEXion DIMM'D;

And EVERy FAIR from FIAR someTIME deCLINES,

By CHANCE, or NATture's CHANGing COURSE, unTRIMM'D;

But THY eTERnal SUMmer SHALL not FADE

Nor LOSE posSESSion OF that FAIR thou OW'ST;

Nor SHALL Death BRAG thou WANDer'st IN his SHADE,

When IN eTERnal LINES to TIME thou GROW'ST:

So LONG as MEN can BREATHE or EYES can SEE,

So LONG lives THIS, and THIS gives LIFE to THEE.

Watch the video below of an actor performing Shakespeare's Sonnet 18. See if you can hear the accented syllables as you watch and listen:

Video: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Best Sonnet by Shakespeare

Upgrade Your Mindset. (2021, Apr 20). Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Best Sonnet by Shakespeare. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/5kMo0vaQfn4?feature=shared

Click on the button at the bottom of the video to access the closed captions.