In the plays of Shakespeare we see two ways of writing
employed: blank verse, which is written in iambic pentameters (a 10 syllable line with 5
"feet", with the first syllable unstressed and the second stressed") and then prose,
which has no specific order or structure. What is interesting to note is who speaks
prose and who speaks verse. Normally, the noble characters who make up the main plot
speak in verse, whereas the lowly, more humble characters who make up the subplot speak
in prose, however, some characters will change from verse to prose or vice versa, and it
is worth thinking about why this is so and what Shakespeare is trying to communicate
through this change.
An example of blank verse would be
Portia's speech on mercy in The Merchant of
Venice:
The quality of mercy is not
strained.
It dropeth as the gentle rain from
heaven
Upon the place
beneath.
Note how each of the
first two lines have 10 syllables (we pronounce "heaven" with one syllable for the
purposes of this line) and it has a set rhythm. However, note how in the same play,
Shylock and Tubal in Act III scene 1 speak in prose together. I hope this helps you
distinguish between the two!
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