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 Julius Caesar.
  • 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 Julius Caesar?

    Iambic pentameter is used throughout the play. If you count the syllables in this line, where Portia tells Brutus she knows he is troubled, and read it out you can see how it works: ‘You have some sick offense within your mind’ (Portia, 2:1).
  • Prose and Verse

    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 Julius Caesar?

    95% of Julius Caesar is written in verse, so it’s interesting to watch out for where it isn’t used. Several characters in Julius Caesar shift to using prose when they talk to the people of Rome, making their language more accessible. You can tell whether prose or verse is being used by looking at the page in the text. Where it looks like a poem, Shakespeare is using verse. If it looks like writing in a book that goes the whole way across the page, he's writing in prose.
  • Rhetoric

    Play rhetoric video

    Rhetoric is the skill of using persuasive or moving language. Different examples of rhetoric include emphasising words and phrases through repetition, asking questions, choosing powerful words and images.

    Where will I find it in Julius Caesar?

    Many characters in Julius Caesar use rhetoric to influence each other. The speeches made at Caesar's funeral by Brutus and Antony are great examples of rhetoric and how it can be used differently. Comparing these and exploring the ways these two characters try to persuade the crowd is a great way of exploring rhetoric.
  • Antithesis

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

    Where will I find it in Julius Caesar?

    Brutus uses a lot of antithesis in his speech to the crowd at Caesar’s funeral, presented as loaded questions for them to consider: ‘Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen?’ (Brutus, 3:3)
  • Rhyming Couplets

    Play 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 Julius Caesar?

    Rhyming Couplets can be used by characters to finish important speeches or end scenes. There are very few in Julius Caesar but they are used at very important moments. Brutus ends his life with a rhyming couplet: ‘Farewell, good Strato. / Caesar, now be still. / I killed not thee with half so good a will.’ (5:5) A rhyming couplet also ends the entire play: ‘So call the field to rest, and let’s away / To part the glories of this happy day.’ (Octavius, 5:5)

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 and the video on rhetoric will also help students looking at the speeches in this play.