Shakespear Terminology

Blank verse

Verse that is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in blank verse, and this 10-syllable line is the standard for many English writers

Couplet

Two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme.

Epic poem

A form of a narrative poem. A long (often book-length), serious poem that tells the story of a heroic figure. Some famous examples are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Beowulf, Spenser’s The Faerie Queene and Milton’s Paradise Lost

Feet

A foot determines which syllables in a row are stressed. For example, the iamb (da-DUM) and the trochee (DA-dum)

Globe Theatre

An open-air theatre built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s theatre company, Lord Chamberlain’s Men. It burned down in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII, after a theatrical cannon misfired. It was rebuilt in 1614, but Shakespeare had already retired from writing by this point.

Iambic pentameter

A rhythmic pattern that consists of ten syllables per line, with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. The next pattern emerges: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.

Lord Chamberlain’s Men

A London-based theatre company founded by Shakespeare, for which he wrote during most of his career. It was founded in 1594 during the reign of Elizabeth I. It was renamed to the King’s Men in 1603 when it was under the patronage of King James I.

Meter

The overall rhythmic structure of a poem, created by the number of syllables in a line and the arrangement in which they’re stressed

Narrative poem

The oldest form of poetry and literature, used to tell a story. The poet combines elements of storytelling, such as plot, setting and characters, combined with elements of meter, rhyme and literary devices. For example, a ballad or an epic poem.

Octave

A stanza consisting of eight lines.

Prose

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. For example, in Macbeth, prose is mainly used by the lower-status characters (for example, murderers), or when characters are losing a sense of themselves (such as when Lady Macbeth sleepwalks).

Quatrain

A stanza consisting of four lines

Rhyme royal

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. For example, in Macbeth, prose is mainly used by the lower-status characters (for example, murderers), or when characters are losing a sense of themselves (such as when Lady Macbeth sleepwalks).

Sestet

A stanza consisting of six lines.

Shakespearean comedy

• Complex plot: the plots of Shakespearean comedies have more twists and turns than his tragedies and histories.

• Comedy through language: Shakespeare's comedies are peppered with clever puns, wordplay and metaphors.

• Love and marriage: often, we are presented with sets of lovers who have to overcome the obstacles in their relationship. By the end of the play, most of the main characters are usually married or betrothed.

• Misunderstandings: the plot of a Shakespearean comedy is often driven by misunderstandings or mistaken identity that lead to plenty of comedy.

• Supernatural elements: fairies, magicians, love potions etc.

• Away from the city or courtly life: characters travel to new lands and explore distant and mysterious places.

• Happy ending: most Shakespearean comedies end on a happy note, with the main characters getting married to their beloved. In comparison to Shakespeare’s tragedies, usually no characters die.

Shakespearean history

• Most plays are set in times of medieval English history.

• Shakespeare provided social commentary through his characters and plots. Really, the history plays say more about Shakespeare’s own time than medieval society.

• Despite seeming to focus on the nobility, Shakespeare's history plays often offer a view of society that cuts right across the class system. They present us with all kinds of characters, from lowly beggars to members of the monarchy.

• Propaganda for the Tudor family

• ! Shakespeare’s tragedies are not historically accurate. He was not attempting to render an accurate picture of the past, but rather write for the entertainment of his audience.

Shakespearean tragedy

• Internal pressure: the tragic hero/heroine has a fatal flaw (pride, jealousy, ambition etc.) that brings about their downfall or death (= hamartia).

• External pressure: the main character is faced with external pressures, for example, by family or society, that they struggle to solve (war, family disputes, power struggles etc.).

• A struggle between good and evil: characters struggle with internal and external forces that challenge their sense of right and wrong (= moral dilemmas). •

• Supernatural elements: witches, visions, ghosts, omens, etc. • Death: tragedies do not end well and often feature (lots of) death.

Shakespeare’s Globe

A reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote his plays. It was built in 1997 in London, about 200 metres from the site of the original theatre.

Sonnet

A lyric poem that is 14 lines long. The name is taken from the Italian sonetto, which means “a little sound or song.” Two sonnet forms provide the models from which all other sonnets are formed: the Italian or the Petrarchan sonnet and the English or the Shakespearean sonnet.

• Italian or Petrarchan sonnets are divided into an octave (or two quatrains) and a sestet, with the rhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CDC DCD (or CDE CDE). The volta occurs between the eighth and ninth lines. This turn marks a shift in the direction of the foregoing narrative.

• English or Shakespearean sonnets are composed of three quatrains and a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and are written generally in iambic pentameter. The couplet plays a pivotal role, usually arriving in the form of a conclusion, amplification, or even refutation of the previous three stanzas (reminding us of a volta).

Stanza

Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. The stanzas of a poem are usually of the same length and follow the same pattern of meter and rhyme.

The Dark Lady

The woman described in sonnets 127–152. She is described as having black wiry hair and dark dun-coloured skin. The most popular theory is that she is nothing more than a construct of Shakespeare’s imagination.

The Fair Youth

The unnamed young man addressed by the poet in sonnets 1–77 and 87–126. These sonnets are usually interpreted as romantic love poems, but some critics argue that it is strictly spiritual, platonic love. There are multiple theories about who ‘the Fair Youth’ might be, such as Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton and one of Shakespeare’s patrons, or William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke.

The Rival Poet

In eleven sonnets (78-86), the poet addresses ‘the Rival Poet', who appears to be rivalling for fame, attention and patronage. A possible candidate is Edmund Spenser, one of the great poets in the English language, or it is possible that ‘the Rival Poet’ is a combination of several of Shakespeare’s contemporaries.

The rape of Lucrece

A tragic epic, narrative poem by Shakespeare. It is a retelling of Roman history, based on literary works by Roman poet Ovid and Roman historian Livy. More specifically, it tells the story of Lucrece, who was raped by Tarquin, the son of the King of Rome. Lucrece’s suicide incited a revolution that toppled the monarchy and ultimately gave rise to the Roman Republic. It was published in 1594, and it was Shakespeare’s second publication.

Venus and Adonis

A minor epic, narrative poem by Shakespeare. It is a retelling of Roman mythology, based on Metamorphoses by Ovid. More specifically, it tells the story of Venus, the goddess of Love, and of her attempted seduction of Adonis, a handsome young man, who would rather go hunting. It was published in 1593 during the closing of the London theatres and was Shakespeare’s first publication.

Venus and Adonis stanza

A stanza consisting of six lines, and the rhyme scheme is ABABCC.

Verse

A term that refers to various parts of poetry, such as a single line of poetry, a stanza, or the entire poem.

Volta

A volta, the Italian word for “turn,” is a rhetorical shift that marks the change of a thought or argument in a sonnet. They often use words such as “but,” “yet,” or “however” to distinguish a reversal or shift in thought. In the Petrarchan sonnet, the volta occurs between the eighth and ninth lines. In the Shakespearean sonnet, the volta often occurs before the final couplet