Copy of Why Shakespeare loved iambic pentameter - David T. Freeman and Gregory Taylor

What is the stress pattern of an iamb?

• Stressed, unstressed

• Unstressed, stressed

• Unstressed, unstressed

• Stressed, stressed

Iambic pentameter contains _____ feet, each of which contains _____ syllables.

• five, five

• three, two

• two, five

• five, two

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."

•  

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

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

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

• Momentous

• Introspective

• All of the above

• Passionate

Think about how you speak when you are feeling a strong emotion: anger, happiness, sadness, and disappointment. In trying to express yourself, do you use specific kinds of words? Do you use short sentences or long sentences? And does your language change depending on the kind of emotion you’re feeling?