Shakespeare Language and Writing - English

   Blank Verse - The main form of writing 

 

  a type of poetry that doesn’t rhyme but has a regular rhythm, usually iambic pentameter

 

Iambic Pentamete

which means 10 syllables per line, with a soft beat followed by a strong beat

 Like: “da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM”.

Blank verse became the

main form of writing in plays. 

blank verse made

ialogue sound musical and serious, especially for noble characters that had to sound elegant and powerful

  Shakespeare often broke the

rhythm of blank verse to make speech feel more emotional or realistic. Commoners usually spoke in prose (normal sentences)

  Wordplay and Puns

Wordplay and puns were extremely popular, and audiences expected clever jokes, metaphors, and double meanings. 

 

  Puns are the

most common type of wordplay. 

A pun is a joke that

uses a word with two meanings, or two words that sound alike but mean different things.

Since stages had few props or sets 

Shakespeare’s words had to create the setting and emotion. 

 Verse showed ,

importance and class

while prose made scenes

funny or casual.

His clever wordplay added

humor, tension, and depth, letting everyone enjoy the story on different levels. 

  If theatre today worked the same way

, plays would rely more on strong writing than on visuals or special effects. 

Actors would need to express

meaning through tone and rhythm instead of lighting or costumes, and audiences would have to imagine the scenes themselves just like people did in Shakespeare’s time

 Figurative Language

 

 Figurative Language

 

metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as".

metaphors were used

To show meaning, feelings, ideas, or themes more clearly and strongly, helping the audience understand deeper meanings in the play.

 

simile

A comparison using "like" or "as".

dramatic irony

 When the audience knows something the characters do not

dramatic irony

Can symbolize the opposite (in humorous/emphatic effect).

Stichomythia

A conversation where one character speaks, and another replies in a way that connects or plays with the first character words.

Stichomythia creates

    suspense or humour. Shakespeare often used it for different effects in his plays

Antithesis

A technique where the two opposite ideas are placed next to each other to show contrast Shakespeare often used in his splays, especially in soliloquies

Symbolism

 Using an object, color os action to represent a bigger idea, feeling, or theme. It helps to show deeper meaning in a simple way

Hyperbole

A strong expression to show intense feelings, make something seem bigger or more important to create dramatic

hyperbole is a

  Exaggeration on a statement that is not meant to be taken literally.

anaphora

 The deliberate repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of lines or sentences.

anaphora emphasizes

important ideas, makes the words easier to remember and shows that the speaker wants their post to be noticed.

personification

 Giving human characteristics to non-human things or abstract ideas

Shakespeare used personification a lot to make things  

feel alive, to show emotions, and to help the audience understand ideas more clearly.

oxymoron

 A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms side by side – (one phrase with two terms)

Foreshadowing

A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.

foreshadowing can be a

warning/indication to a future event.

Imagery:

the use of descriptive language that creates vivid pictures appear in the reader's mind.

 

allusion

 A reference to a famous person, place, or event.

motif

 A repeated idea, symbol. or theme in a story.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely connected words.

theme

an idea that recur in or spreads in a work of art or literature.

irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the explanation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.