Shakespeare - Style Research

What is iambic pentameter?

• A type of rhyme scheme

• A metrical pattern with five unstressed-stressed syllable pairs

• A type of prose Shakespeare used

• A dialogue form used in comedies

Which line from Romeo and Juliet is an example of iambic pentameter?

• “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”

• “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

• “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”

• “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet is an example of a Shakespearean ______.

Shakespeare only used rhymed couplets at the beginning of scenes.

• True

• False

Why do you think Shakespeare used blank verse for most dialogue?

• To make the text rhyme all the time

• To show the character is singing

• To make it difficult for actors to memorize lines

• To keep a formal yet natural-sounding rhythm

Which of the following are true about rhymed couplets in Shakespeare’s plays?

• They are used to signal the end of a scene.

• They are written in prose.

• They often emphasize key points or emotional moments.

• They are used randomly without purpose.

Match the terms with their correct definitions:

• 14-line poem with specific rhyme scheme

• Iambic Pentameter

• Two consecutive lines with end rhymes

• Blank Verse

• A line with five iambs

• Rhymed Couplet

• Unrhymed iambic pentameter

• Sonnet

Do you feel you are able to identify iambic pentameter in texts?

• Yes

• No

• Wherefore?