Iambic Pentameter Explained Part 2: Variations

Studying Shakespeare? Dr Aidan, PhD, provides a further video on Iambic Pentameter, detailing one of the major variations Shakespeare uses to create rhythm and meaning.

Quick, relaxed, and informative, The Complete Guide to Shakespeare aims to make the plays accessible to everyone.

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[OmarTravelAdventures]

Compared to Arabic classical poetry this is so simple and accessible. Thank you.

[ghulamshabbir]

Wow! it is really very impresseive way to make understand.💓💓💓💓

[ghulamshabbir]

Before this as poeople do I counted syllables as well.But now I got to write a good poem.

[malik]

hello sir, your videos have helped me a lot in English literature which I am thankful for. I was wondering if you could do a video on the merchant of Venice context and an inspector calls context video

[andiliu]

So great | and helpful | informative | video | you made!
One question though: for the "why then" line in Othello, isn't "why then" also a trochee? cuz stressing on "then" seems a little weird...

[Hadrianus]

Did Shakespeare have an intended sequence of iambs and trochees in mind when writing? Or is this subject to the artistic licence of the reader/actor?

When reading Shakespeare (for instance, a sonnet), how do I know where the stresses fall?

Thank you :)

[TestosteroneRN]

Really enjoyed this. Very helpful. Thank you.

[jedidiahgirio]

Is there an exception for peoples names and the number of syllables? Like the names Cassio has 3 syllables. "Cass-i-o". I mean I understand that it's art, but I've seen this a lot in older poetry where the rule of thumb gets broken from time to time.

[neisharamadhin]

the iamb is not limited to 2 syllable words but we can have it from phrases that makes two syllables? like "to love"???

[BlackLaval]

Thanks! This is of much help to my reading of the Complete Plays

[LoganJEverson]

i don’t understand how to spot these variations in the text. i can’t recognize when there’s a difference

[CuchiHabbard]

There was no reason to spoil King Lear!

[RichMulholland]

Am I the only one frustrated that the emphasis in the word "iams" is on the first syllable? It's "I-ams and not i-AMS" thus not iambic.