What is Iambic Pentameter?
When it comes to learning about the works of William Shakespeare, the trickiest part to figure out is the meter, or rhythm, of his writing. Shakespeare is most famous for using a meter called iambic pentameter.
This term may seem complicated, but it’s simple if you remember that iambic pentameter mirrors the rhythm of a heart beat.
Let’s break down the term: Iambic means that the meter is composed of iambs (pronounced eye-ams). An iamb is a metrical foot that has two syllables: one unstressed syllable (dah) followed by one stressed syllable (DUM). It’s a similar rhythm to the sound your heart makes when it beats.
The penta in pentameter means five, and that tells us that there are five iambs in a line of iambic pentameter. Because each iamb has two syllables, and because there are five iambs in a line of iambic pentameter, each line has a total of ten syllables. Thus, a line of iambic pentameter is like five heart beats.
Shakespeare used iambic pentameter in his poetry and plays. One notable example occurs in the prologue of Romeo and Juliet. Let’s look at the iambic pentameter in the first four lines. Note that the unstressed syllables are marked with the ˘ symbol, and the stressed syllables are marked with the / symbol.
The process of marking the meter with these symbols is called scansion.
Prologue: Iambic Pentameter
Why do we analyze meter?
Why is it useful to look for the meter? How can it help a reader? One way it helps readers is to give clues about important ideas in the play or scene. This can be achieved by focusing on the stressed (/) syllables.
Some of the words that are stressed in the lines of the prologue above include dignity, grudge, mutiny, civil, and blood. If you know anything about Romeo and Juliet, you know that it tells the story of two star-crossed teens from two well-to-do, feuding families, and because of the fighting between the families, the play ends in bloodshed. Shakespeare is already emphasizing those ideas with his use of stresses in these lines of iambic pentameter.
Why did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter?
Shakespeare did not write solely in iambic pentameter, but he did use it frequently throughout his work. So why did he do this? One possible reason is that it is well suited to the English language. The rhythm flows with how speakers naturally talk, and the ten syllable lines are easy for actors to remember, especially when combined with rhyming.
Another possible reason, as noted above, is that the rhythm of iambic pentameter mirrors the rhythm of the human heart. This is important because Shakespeare’s characters tend to use iambic pentameter when they are talking about their feelings; the fact that the meter in their speeches matches the rhythm of their heart beats underscores the intensity of their feelings—and Shakespeare’s characters had BIG feelings!
Iambic Pentameter Review
- Iambic pentameter is a meter, or rhythm.
- An iamb is metrical foot made up of one unstressed syllable (dah) followed by a stressed syllable (DUM).
- Penta means five, so there are five iambs in a line of iambic pentameter.
Teaching Resources
More Meter!
Want to learn more about the different kinds of meters Shakespeare used? Watch this helpful video from TED-Ed.
Freebies
New to teaching Romeo and Juliet? Looking for some new activities to spice it up? Head over to the Super ELA! blog for some free activities (including downloads!) to bring Shakespeare’s most famous play to life.
TPT Resources
Want to dive further into Shakespeare’s use of language in Romeo and Juliet? Check out these helpful teaching resources! All teaching resources are sold through Teachers Pay Teachers.
