Shakespeare’s Language
Romeo and Juliet is written in both prose and poetry.
In the play, prose is usually spoken by the common people and occasionally by Mercutio when he is joking.
Poetry is what most of the characters speak. The kind of poetry they speak is blank verse.
Blank Verse is poetry in unrhymed iambic pentameter. (Blank means that the words do not rhyme)
Iambic meter happens when a stressed syllable follows an unstressed syllable.
Example:
The word prefer
 /
pre - fer
 is the symbol for an unstressed syllable.
/ is the symbol for a stressed syllable.
An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (  / ) is called an iambic unit.
Iambic pentameter means that there are 5 (penta) of these units (  / ) in each line. Here is an example:
 /
 /

/  / 
/
But Soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
Why write in blank verse/iambic pentameter? Well iambic pentameter most closely resembles how we
speak. Moreover, writing this way was common practice in Shakespeare’s day. Remember that prose, or
everyday language, was also included in Shakespeare’s plays. Furthermore, to avoid monotony (repetition) and
a singsong sound to the play, Shakespeare alters the rhythm to allow for variety and emphasis.
Shakespearian Sonnet Form
Shakespeare’s sonnets follow a strict structure of 14 iambic pentameter lines. The lines rhyme in the following
format: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Shakespeare uses several sonnets throughout the play, the first is the Prologue.
I. Identify the sonnet’s rhyme scheme by letter at the end of each line and identify the iambic meter
(- ‘) of the first 4 lines. Also provide a paraphrase for each line.
PROLOGUE
Two households, both al ike in dignit y,
____
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
____
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
____
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
____
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
____
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
____
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
____
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
____
The fearful passage of their death -mark'd love,
____
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
____
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
____
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
____
The which if you with patient ears attend,
____
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
____
Omissions – Contractions
Again, for the sake of his poetry, Shakespeare often left out letters, syllables, and whole words. These
omissions really aren't that much different from the way we speak today.
"Been to class yet?"
"No. Heard Ulen's givin' a test."
"Wha'sup wi'that?"
We leave out words and parts of words to speed up our speech. If we were speaking in complete sentences, we
would say:
"Have you been to class yet?"
"No, I have not been to class. I heard that Mrs. Ulen is giving a test today."
"What is up with that?"
A few examples of Shakespearean omissions/contractions follow:
'tis ~ it is
ope ~ open
o'er ~ over
gi' ~ give
ne'er ~ never
i' ~ in
e'er ~ ever
oft ~ often
a' ~ he
e'en ~ even
Omissions – Line length
Sometimes Shakespeare needed omissions in order to follow the plays format of iambic pentameter. Old
English frequently had pronunciations that were different than they are today.
The - ed ending
In Shakespeare’s time the - ed ending was pronounced as “ed”, making it an additional syllable to the word.
Today’s - ed ending is merely pronounced “d”, adding it to the previous syllable count.
Examples:
Beloved
Pronounced as “be – love – ed” is 3 syllables
Belov’d
Pronounced as “be – lovd” is 2 syllables
Marked
Pronounced as “mark – ed”
Mark’d
Pronounced as “markd”
From the text:
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--
stained needs to be pronounced “stain – ed” in order to maintain the 10 syllables to a line
if the reader pronounces it “staind”, the line is only 9 syllables
SPLIT LINES
Sometimes text will not be aligned with the left margin. This means the following response is intended to
complete the line.
ROMEO
And we mean well in going to this mask;
But 'tis no wit to go.
(10 syllables) – Complete line
(6 syllables)
One complete line
MERCUTIO
Why, may one ask?
ROMEO
I dream'd a dream to-night.
(4 Syllables)
(6 Syllables)
One complete line
MERCUTIO
And so did I.
ROMEO
Well, what was yours?
(4 syllables)
(4 syllables)
One complete line
MERCUTIO
That dreamers often lie.
ROMEO
In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.
(6 syllables)
(10 Syllables) Complete line
II. PRACTICE CONTRACTIONS AND CONTROLING LINE LENGTH
Task: Select 10 lines from the play and rewrite the lines using text language.
Rules: Shakespeare used 10 syllables per complete line; you must use between 5-7 syllables.
Spelling doesn’t count, but accuracy in word choice does.
Original text should be in one column with the text version in another.
Example:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
if u fite n e more
u will die