Five times is called IAMBIC PENTAMETER.

IAMBIC PENTAMETER

RESOURCE 4

Name ...............................................

Mark the stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines below: `Good things of day begin to droop and drowse,'

`Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff,'

`Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.'

`I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked.'

This pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable is called an IAMBIC pattern.

Try to have an ordinary conversation about the weather, stressing the iambic pattern. e.g. r / r / r / r /

It's quite a sunny day today

Repeating the pattern five times is called IAMBIC PENTAMETER.

Most of Shakespeare's plays are written in iambic pentameter.

Not every line is written in iambic pentameter. That would be boring! - sometimes the pattern of an unstressed syllable and stressed syllable is

changed e.g.

Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse ...

- sometimes there are extra syllables e.g.

We would spend it in some words upon that business

- sometimes there are fewer syllables e.g.

To you they have showed some truth.

- sometimes Shakespeare uses rhyming verse, for example in songs or spells e.g.

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

TshutehcymecbmyoeutrhsherWtsenaatw,melmvhaokdeilennnfeuimdondsirnwetoIdIhrtlrheseheeoatsderof,ivignroitdeetehdatc.ehlteyoraWyeaamomqvprhfnaueteteneinhmndisasItithnishoesenidv.es

from

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Sometimes Shakespeare uses prose because it is more ordinary and less formal. Prose can - show closeness between characters

- show a relaxed, friendly relationship

- show characters are of a lower class.

The Shorter Shakespeare: Macbeth - Resource Book ? Carel Press

35

CANNOT BE ILL, CANNOT BE GOOD

RESOURCE 6

Name ...............................................

After he has been told that he is to become Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth's state of mind becomes very confused.

This is shown in his speech starting `Two truths are told'.

What the witches ha ve told me must be a good thing because...

What the witches ha ve told me must be a bad thing because...

Write in Macbeth's opposing thoughts in your own words

What do YOU think? Are the witches ill or good? Is what they promise Macbeth ill or good?

Do you think Macbeth is used to being so uncertain? How can you tell?

The Shorter Shakespeare: Macbeth - Resource Book ? Carel Press

49

MY HANDS ARE OF YOUR COLOUR

RESOURCE 20

Name ...............................................

Macbeth has blood on his hands because ______________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Match the correct quotation by drawing arrows to the pictures about blood.

`No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.'

`Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?'

`Look on 't again, I dare not.'

Blood is a sign and symbol of guilt. Give Macbeth a score out of 10 for how guilty he seems to feel.

MACBETH

/ 10

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