Prose and verse

Shakespeare uses both verse and prose at different times. Verse, or poetry, is recognisable by its regular rhythm and can be rhymed or unrhymed (this is known as blank verse). For example, although it does not rhyme, “Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face / Else would a maiden’s blush bepaint my cheek” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2) has a strong underlying rhythm. This type of poetry is known as iambic pentameter, a term which has to do with the number of stressed (emphasised) and unstressed syllables per line. A line of iambic pentameter contains five unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables (iambs). For example, in the quote below, the stressed syllables are underlined: