How does Shakespeare use verse to dramatic effect? What are the basic rules of his most common metre, iambic pentameter? What metre is used for the witches in Macbeth? Can you tell the difference between a trochee and spondee?

Abigail Rokison-Woodall guides us through the intricacies of Shakespeare's dramatic verse to answer the fundamental questions of his poetic form. From blank verse to songs and sonnets, this guide explains the basic 10 syllable verse line of iambic pentameter and explores how it varies through anapests, trochees, spondees, other metrical feet and line endings. The different metres used for the witches in Macbeth and the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream take us through tetrameters and trimeters. Monosyllables, rhyme, enjambment and the change from verse into prose are explained in terms of their dramatic significance to create new resonances for readers. An indispensable resource for students and performers, this close look at Shakespeare's verse spans the whole of his writing career and ensures a deeper understanding of the form.

Arden Shakespeare Insights are short guides that offer context and critical evaluation to inform and enrich the study of Shakespeare's plays or poems. These short, practical and expert guides illuminate Shakespeare's texts and provide a fully rounded view of his world and his work from the early modern period to the present day.