Saturday, April 7, 2012
Breaking Iambic Pentameter
Shakespeare would often break iambic pentameter to show feeling in his plays. Whether it be contemplation, anger, or general emphasis, several examples can be found of when he does break from the norm.
Examples:
1. "To be, or not to be: that is the question" (Hamlet III.i.)
-this phrase of Hamlet's is eleven syllables, rather than the traditional ten. The break in iambic pentameter gives the appearance of contemplation for the reader.
2. "Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?" (Antony and Cleopatra III.xiii.)
-this phrase of Mark Antony's is eleven syllables, and emphasizes the emotion in his voice as he is about to head off to war, and perhaps never see Cleopatra again.
3. "Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so/ That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone forever!" (King Lear V.iii.)
-this phrase of King Lear's is eleven syllables, and emphasizes the anger and heart-wrenching emotion in his voice as he laments the death of his favorite daughter: Cordelia. Through his experience he not only realizes she's gone, but how wrong he was to act how he did originally.
As I was researching breaks in iambic pentameter, I did realize something though. Typically when Shakespeare breaks one line, he tends to break another line or two following it. I never noticed that before.
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Good research my friend! Now go analyze this!
ReplyDeleteClif.
Shame and Confusion all is on the rout,
3254: Feare frames disorder, and disorder wounds
3255: Where it should guard. O Warre, thou sonne of hell,
3256: Whom angry heauens do make their minister,
3257: Throw in the frozen bosomes of our part,
3258: Hot Coales of Vengeance. Let no Souldier flye.
3259: He that is truly dedicate to Warre,
3260: Hath no selfe-loue: nor he that loues himselfe,
3261: Hath not essentially, but by circumstance
3262: The name of Valour. O let the vile world end,
3263: And the premised Flames of the Last day,
3264: Knit earth and heauen together.
3265: Now let the generall Trumpet blow his blast,
3266: Particularities, and pettie sounds
3267: To cease. Was't thou ordain'd (deere Father)
3268: To loose thy youth in peace, and to atcheeue
3269: The Siluer Liuery of aduised Age,
3270: And in thy Reuerence, and thy Chaire-dayes, thus
3271: To die in Ruffian battell? Euen at this sight,
3272: My heart is turn'd to stone: and while 'tis mine,
3273: It shall be stony. Yorke, not our old men spares:
3274: No more will I their Babes, Teares Virginall,
3275: Shall be to me, euen as the Dew to Fire,
3276: And Beautie, that the Tyrant oft reclaimes,
3277: Shall to my flaming wrath, be Oyle and Flax:
3278: Henceforth, I will not haue to do with pitty.
3279: Meet I an infant of the house of Yorke,
3280: Into as many gobbits will I cut it
3281: As wilde Medea yong Absirtis did.
3282: In cruelty, will I seeke out my Fame.
3283: Come thou new ruine of olde Cliffords house:
3284: As did Aeneas old Anchyses beare,
3285: So beare I thee vpon my manly shoulders:
3286: But then, Aeneas bare a liuing loade;
3287: Nothing so heauy as these woes of mine.
3288: [ Enter Richard, and Somerset to fight.]
He gets up to 12 and goes down to 8 syllables. the other cool thing to notice is that if the actor were to take a breath every time there is a comma or a period he ends up breathing a ton, which makes sense because Clifford just came straight from the battle field!
In some of the other plays I've done the highest I've seen is 15 and the lowest I've seen is 6, but 11 is quite common because sometimes the pronunciation back then would have been a in a way that a would have fit ten. such as given could be said gi'en, or again could be 'gain.
Shakespeare's writing is a puzzle that every actor has to interpret what it means.