Julius Caesar in Iambic

1
Julius Caesar in Iambic

• Youll learn to love this

2
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

3
Blank Verse

• Unrhymed lines of poetry written in iambic
  pentameter
• This is what most of Julius Caesar is written in

4
Iambic Pentameter Examples
Unstressed

• U / U / U /
  U
• You blocks, you stones, you worse than
  / U /
• senseless things!

Stressed
One foot
5
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 1.1.34-37

6
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 speak in prose
• Those in high society speak in iambic
• Act 1.1 is an example of this

7
Why Else Iambic Pentameter?

• Suddenly changing a pattern, like the meter,
  makes the ear stop and take note of the change.

For those of you playing at home, this, here, is
a visual example of how a change in pattern can
draw the attention of your eye similar to the way
changing meter can draw the attention of your ear
and brainget it?
8
What is Being Emphasized in this Passage? sound
it out

• Cowards die many times before their deaths
• The valiant never taste of death but once.
• Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
• It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
• Seeing that death, a necessary end,
• Will come when it will come.

9
Answer

• / U / / / U / /
  /
• Cowards die many times before their deaths
• U / U / U / U / U
  /
• The valiant never taste of death but once.
• U / U / U / U / U /
• Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
• U / U / U / U
  / U /
• It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
• / U U / U / U U /
• Seeing that death, a necessary end,
• U / U / U /
• Will come when it will come.

Notice the change in rhythm this is for emphasis
Notice the change in rhythm this is for emphasis
10
Pretty Cool, huh

• See, how can you not love iambic pentameter?
  Doesnt it just make you want to speak in iambic
  for the rest of your days?