Key Terms

Here are some of the key terms that get used when talking about Shakespeare’s language, so you can look out for them in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
  • Iambic Pentameter

    Play Iambic Pentameter video

    Iambic pentameter is the name given to the rhythm that Shakespeare uses in his plays. The rhythm of iambic pentameter is like a heartbeat, with one soft beat and one strong beat repeated five times.

    Where will I find it in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

    Iambic Pentameter is used throughout the play, by the lovers and fairies. Oberon and Titania use it in the majority of their lines, and the rhythm they use in their lines contributes to the way we see them. You can hear this beat in Oberon's line 'I know a bank where the wild thyme blows'.
  • Verse and Prose

    Play Prose and Verse video

    Shakespeare writes in a combination of prose and verse. Prose is a conversational way of speaking which doesn’t have a set rhythm or structure. Verse always has a set rhythm and structure.

    Where will I find it in A Midsummer Night's Dream

    Most of the play is written in verse but the mechanicals, including Bottom and Quince, use prose throughout. Shakespeare sometimes uses prose and verse in this way, to show us which characters are wealthy and important at court and which characters are more 'common', like the mechanicals. Look out for the way they talk to each other and how this is different as well as the direct comparison between Titania and Bottom in Act 3 Scene 1.
  • Rhyming Couplets

    Watch rhyming couplets video

    Rhyming couplets are two lines written in iambic pentameter that end in the same sound, or a rhyme. They are often used to sum up the end of a character’s speech.

    Where will I find it in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

    A lot of characters use rhyming couplets to finish thoughts and speeches in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, both Oberon and Puck have speeches that are written entirely in rhyming couplets. This could emphasise how different they are, as fairies, or be used to show Puck's playfulness; but it is important to think about why Shakespeare might do this.
  • Antithesis

    Play Antithesis Video

    Antithesis happens when two opposites are put together. For example, hot and cold or light and dark.

    Where will I find it in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

    All of the lovers use antithesis throughout the play to describe conflicted feelings and unrequited love. In Act 1 Scene 1, for example, Helena says to Hermia 'O, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill', placing frowns and smiles in the same line and reminding us how different the two friends' experiences of love are.

Test Yourself on language terms

Shakespeare writes in a combination of prose and verse. Verse is like poetry and it has a set structure and rhythm. The rhythm Shakespeare uses in his plays is called iambic pentameter, which is like a heartbeat, with one soft beat and one strong beat repeated five times. Sometimes it’s also interesting to look at lines that don’t match the rhythm of iambic pentameter and to think about why.
In Shakespeare’s plays, you will find examples of antithesis, which is when two opposites are put together, like hot and cold or light and dark. Characters also often end speeches with rhyming couplets, which are two lines written in iambic pentameter that end in the same sound, or a rhyme.

Prose

The style of writing you might find in a book.

Take another look at the prose & verse definitions

Structure

Another word for organise or lay out.

Take another look at Nia’s definition of verse

Iambic

This words comes from the Latin word iam meaning beat.

Take another look at the iambic pentameter definitions

heartbeat

The rhythm you feel in your chest, like a pulse.

Take another look at Nia’s definition of iambic pentameter

five

The Latin word for this number is ‘pent’.

Take another look at the definition of iambic pentameter

opposites

Another word for completely different things.

Take another look at Nia’s definition of antithesis

Dark

The total opposite of light.

Take another look at the definition of antithesis

Couplets

Another word for when two lines are coupled together.

Take another look at the definition of rhyming couplets

Iambic Pentameter

The name for the rhythm Shakespeare writes in.

Take another look at your third answer and take another look at the definitions.

Sound

Another word for something you hear.

Take another look at Nia’s definition of rhyming couplets

Teacher Notes

You can use the activities in the videos on this page with students, to explore the language in the play as you work through it. The activity which is used to explore iambic pentameter will be very useful in understanding rhythm and structure.