Poetry in Shakespeare

• What type of poetry does Shakespeare mainly use?

  Blank verse
• What are the rules of blank verse?

  • Lines usually don't rhyme
  • Each line has 10 or 11 syllables
  • Each line has 5 big beats
• How many syllables are typically in a line of blank verse?

  10 or 11 syllables
• How does Shakespeare maintain rhythm in short conversations?

  He sticks to five big beats a line
• How does the rhythm of serious dialogue differ in Shakespeare's plays?

  It is regular and consistent
• How do upper-class characters typically speak in Shakespeare's works?

  In regular rhythm
• What effect does regular rhythm have on upper-class characters' speech?

  It makes them sound posh
• How does the Porter, a lower-class character, speak?

  In prose and without much set rhythm
• What is the significance of the Porter's speech style?

  It sets him apart from upper-class characters
• How does Lady Macbeth's speech change when she sleepwalks?

  She talks in prose due to madness
• What does Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking indicate about her character?

  Her madness has made her lose control
• How do the Witches speak compared to other characters?

  They speak in rhyme, usually couplets
• What is the syllable count in the Witches' speech?

  Each line has 7 or 8 syllables
• What is the rhythm of the Witches' speech?

  Each line has 4 big beats
• What effect does the Witches' rhyme have on their character?

  It emphasizes their difference from others
• How does the Witches' speech relate to the natural order?

  They exist outside the natural order
• What does the chant-like quality of the Witches' speech signify?

  It indicates they are casting a spell
• Who else speaks in rhyme like the Witches?

  Hecate and the apparitions
• What does the speech of Hecate and the apparitions indicate?

  It links them to the Witches' supernatural nature
• Why do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth occasionally speak in rhyme?

  To make their speech sound more final
• What is the purpose of Macbeth's line about Duncan's death?

  It emphasizes the importance of the moment
• What is the specific line spoken by Macbeth regarding Duncan?

  Heart it not; Duncan, for it is a KNELL
• What does the term "KNELL" refer to in Macbeth's line?

  A bell tolling for someone's death
• What does the phrase "summons thee to heaven or to HELL" imply?

  It suggests a judgment after death
• Shakespeare changes the pace

  1. Long words and sentences slow things down. For example, in this bit Macbeth sounds thoughtful: "My though, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes my so single state of man that function Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is, But what is not." Act 1, Scene 3

  2. Short words and sentences speed things up. Here Shakespeare does this to make Macduff sound upset. "All my pretty ones? Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?" Act 4, Scene 3
• How does Shakespeare use rhythm in his works?

  To show different emotions
• What techniques does Shakespeare use to change the rhythm of lines?

  Punctuation and choice of words
• What is the context of the quote "This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses."?

  Duncan's small talk with Banquo
• What does the steady rhythm in Duncan's lines indicate?

  Calmness and comfort in conversation
• How does the rhythm change when Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost?

  It becomes choppy and erratic
• What emotions are conveyed through Macbeth's rhythm and short words after seeing Banquo's ghost?

  Fear and tension
• What does Macbeth's questioning reveal about his state of mind?

  His uncertainty and disbelief
• What is the significance of the quote "Why do you show me this? - A fourth? Start, eyes! What, will the line stretch out to th'crack of doom?" in Act 4, Scene 1?

  It shows Macbeth's fear and confusion
• How does punctuation affect the rhythm in Shakespeare's writing?

  It can create choppy or steady rhythms
• In what way does the rhythm of a line influence the audience's perception of a character's emotions?

  It reflects their emotional state
• Word order emphasises different words

  1. Shakespeare changes the word order to make important words stand out more

  2. The natural way to say this would be: "Macduff was untimely ripped from his mother's womb" but Shakespeare words it as "Macduff was from his mother's womb Untimely ripped." Act 5, Scene 8

  3. Having "Untimely ripped" at the end of the sentence makes it more dramatic. The whole sentence builds tension by saving the key information until the end
• Soliloquies show the characters' thoughts and feelings

  1. A soliloquy is a long speech by one character that is not spoken to any other character on stage

  2. It's just them thinking out loud about their emotions, so it's a good way of showing the audience how a character is honestly feeling.

  Some important soliloquies in Macbeth:

  Lady Macbeth's speech to the spirits in Act 1, Scene 5

  Macbeth's speech about killing Duncan, in Act 1, Scene 7

  Macbeth's "Is this a dagger which I see before me" speech in Act 2, Scene 1