Iambic Pentameter

The characters switch to iambic pentameter when speaking about...

• their emotions

• their lives

• their passions

Why did Shakespeare choose iambic pentameter?

• It was easy for his actors to memorize and for the audience to understand.

• It was easy for the audience to memorize and for his actors to understand.

• It helped the audience speak about their emotions.

What is an iamb?

• A two-syllable foot.

• A three-syllable foot.

• A one-syllable foot.

The word Iamb is pronounced just like the phrase...

• I've

• I am

• I have

What is the stress pattern of an iamb?

• Unstressed, unstressed.

• Stressed, unstressed.

• Unstressed, stressed.

Why did poets use stress in their poems?

• To keep the audience engaged

• To create tension

• To create rhythm

Which of these lines is NOT in iambic pentameter?

• "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?"

• "A little more than kin and less than kind."

• "Just for a handful of silver he left us."

• "So foul and fair a day I have not seen."

Shakespeare's characters often speak in iambic pentameter when they are feeling _____

• violent

• introspective (self-analyzing)

• passionate

• None of these

What example character does the video suggest to help you remember how iambic pentameter works?

• pirate

• queen

• princess

• goblin

Because iambic pentameter is said to be naturally suited to the English language, it is

• easy for actors to memorize

• easy for audience members and readers to understand

• set to the same beat as the human heart

• the most beautiful set of words ever written