2) shows end-stopping as the usual, with line 5 below showing both caesura (full stop near middle of line) and enjambment (no punctuation at end of line):

Mark Antony's famous funeral speech for Julius Caesar (Act 3, Sc. Where the sense of the thought continues from one line to the next (no punctuation at the end of the line), you see enjambment and end-stopping is where the sense ends at the end of the verse line. The end of a thought in the middle of a verse line is a caesura.

These terms relate to where a thought stops, shown by punctuation. He uses rhyme as well, of course, and where two lines together end in rhyme, they are referred to collectively as a rhyming couplet. Shakespeare mostly writes in blank verse - verse lines, with a set length and rhythm (see also iambic pentameter), that do not rhyme.

This style usually means that 'disturbed' - without the accent - would only be 2 syllables (the equivalent of 'disturb'd' above).īe sure to investigate which style is being used when working with a new text! In other texts, this pronounced syllable may be shown by the use of an accent above the 'e', as in 'disturbéd'. Work with it at first, though, to feel what it gives to the piece, before making your decision. Where this pronunciation - unusual in modern speech - feels too awkward, the actor can choose whether or not to use it. Parlance (speech), the 'e' being left outĬorrespondingly, were this word written 'disturbed', it would be pronounced with 3 syllables: 'dis-turb-ed' (final syllable to rhyme with 'wed'). 'disturb'd' would be pronounced with 2 syllables: 'dis-turbd', as is usual in modern 'But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport.' With Shakespeare, elision is often linked to the verse rhythm of iambic pentameter, where the line would be irregular if the full syllable were spoken. It can also show elision - where a join is made and the apostrophe replaces something missed out, e.g. 'the boy's book': the book belonging to the boy). Often an apostrophe shows a word is possessive (e.g. USEFUL NOTES ON LANGUAGE from Discover Fine ActingĪpostrophe Blank Verse Caesura Dictionaries / Glossaries / Guides Elision End-stopping Enjambment Iambic Pentameter 'ion' Ending Pronouns Pronunciation Prose / Verse Punctuation Rhyming Couplet Thou / You

Shakespearean e with an accent mark