Education

Shakespeare Language Guide

Discover the Bard with Our Shakespeare Language Guide

By Lee Jamieson, About.com Guide

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Shakespeare was using the everyday language of his time. Our Shakespeare language guide helps you get to grips with his use of language and explains the techniques and conventions he used. Discover the Bard with our Shakespeare language guide.

Introducing Iambic Pentameter

Shakespeare nearly always used a meter called iambic pentameter when writing in verse. This guide tells you everything you need to know about iambic pentameter.

Introducing Prose

Shakespeare moved between verse and prose in his writing to give his characters more depth and vary the overall rhythmic structure of his plays. His treatment of prose is as skillful as his verse.

How to Read Shakespeare Aloud

Forget criticism and textual analysis because everything the reader needs is right there in the dialogue – you just need to know what you’re looking for.

How to Understand Shakespeare Words

Modern translations of the top 10 most common Shakespearian words and phrases.

Common Phrases Invented by Shakespeare

You have probably quoted Shakespeare thousands of times without realizing it. If your homework gets you “in a pickle”, your friends have you “in stitches”, or your guests “eat you out of house and home”, then you’re quoting Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's Language

The Royal Shakespeare Company's voice coach, Lyn Darnley, shares her love of Shakespeare's language and reveals why Shakespeare's writing has been so enduring.