[dragontamer]

Shakespeare didn't speak as the English did in the 1500s. Shakespeare *CAUSED* the entire English-speaking world to change how they talk because he was that influential of a playwright.

So even back then, Shakespeare's mode of English was weird and exotic. No one, at any point of time, ever talked as Shakespeare did aside from entertainers.

In particular, the Iambic Pentameter rhythm of his words would be roughly the same as saying Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was is how people talked in the early 2000s. Erm... no. Eminem is a singer/rapper who makes rhymes and beats. So was Shakespeare. No one talks like how Eminem talks in rap songs.

Shakespeare's words are weird, exotic, and rhythmic. Like a 1500s version of rap (a different rhythm but a rhythm nonetheless). And that's part of the reason why Shakespeare had to make up so many words: because he needed the rhythm to line up just right. (And then English was forever changed, with people using the made-up words from Shakespeare in everyday language. But definitely not the Iambic Pentameter beat because nobody's got time for that).

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Did your English teacher ever do the "Da daaaa Da Daaaa Da Daaa Da Daaaa" thing to help guide the rhythm of Shakespeare with you?

When we were covering Shakespeare in my English class, we also covered Robert Burns poems (from the 1700s), to remind people how common people talked centuries ago. In all honesty, today's English is closer to Shakespeare than to Robert Burns... despite Shakespeare being 1500s and Robert Burns being 1700s. Its a testament to how incredibly influential Shakespeare was.

[BitwiseFool]

When I was in school we were taught about Iambic Pentameter and even had a few demonstrations. But I was never able to grasp or appreciate the significance of it. To me it seems no different than the 5-7-5 rule of a Haiku. Neat, but nothing profound.

Many of us wondered why our English curriculum was so keen on Iambic Pentameter despite the fact that it doesn't really seem to have affected modern English. I say that because it's so hard to recognize, even when using fully modern vocabulary. Apparently the Gravemind in Halo 2 speaks in IP and I'm sure that fact is lost on over 99% of players.

Whereas teaching students about all the words Shakespeare introduced and just how many tropes originate from his plays seems far more valuable to know.

[dragontamer]

Iambic Pentameter is just a rhythm to add a beat to the play. Its not something crazy influential, but its needed if you are to "perform" Shakespeare, in your head or on stage.

I bring it up because Iambic Pentameter is probably the only crazy thing that's "not done today" that's all over Shakespeares works (as well as the variations of Iambic Pentameter to keep the rhythm spicy).

And Iambic Pentameter is not so much a hard rule as it is a soft one. Most lines are IP... but when Shakespeare wants to emphasize certain lines, he'll change the rhythm up. So its a way to cue the audience in with a subtle change.