By William Shakespeare

1
Julius Caesar

• By William Shakespeare

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Todays Learning Goal

• I will be able to define Iambic Pentameter and
  Blank Verse in my own words and explain why it is
  important to understanding the complexity of
  Shakespearean drama by taking notes and
  completing a practice worksheet.

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Iambic Pentameter

• Foot the smallest repeated pattern of stressed
  (/) and unstressed (U) syllables in a poetic
  line.
• Iamb a foot in which an unstressed syllable is
  followed by a stressed syllable.
• Meter of a Verse is measured by counting and
  identifying the number of feet and type of feet
  composing it.
• Pentameter five feet (penta meaning five)
• Iambic Pentameter A metric line of poetry
  containing 5 iambic feet.

U /
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Examples of Iambic pentameter

• But, soft! What light through yonder window
  breaks?
• But, SOFT! What LIGHT through YONder WINdow
  BREAKS?
• Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
• And therefore think him as a serpents egg

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Blank Verse

• Poetic form characterized by unrhymed lines
  written in iambic pentameter.

It must be for his death and for my part, I know
no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the
general. He would be crowned. How that might
change his nature, theres the question.
? Blank Verse
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And
often is his gold complexion dimmed And every
fair from fair sometime decline By chance or
natures changing course untrimmed
Sonnet ?
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Shakespearean Drama and Blank Verse

• Julius Caesar is written in blank verse.
• Shakespeares uses iambic pentameter to contrast
  the rank/status/birth of his characters and to
  add emphasis
• Upperclass characters speak in iambic
  pentameter
• Lower-born characters speak in prose
• Sometimes breaks the rhythmic pattern in a line
  to add contrast or emphasis

7
Exit Reflection
In a brief paragraph, define blank verse and
explain why this poetic device is important to
understanding Shakespearean drama.

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Exit Reflection
In a brief paragraph, explain how blank verse is
used in Act II, scene i and explain why it is
important to the plot.