Name: ________________________________

English 8

Period: __________
Romeo and Juliet

Tips for Reading Shakespeare

Shakespeares Rhythm:
A unit of iambic meter, called an iambic foot, consists of a soft stress followed by a
sharp one: da-DUM.
Shakespeare wrote most of his poetry in iambic pentameter, five units of iambic beat to
a line:
But SOFT, what LIGHT through YONder WINdow BREAKS.
daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM
Reading Lines of Shakespeares Verse:
As in all poetry, punctuation is very important in Shakespeare. Do not stop at the end
of the line, but rather where the period ends.
Reversed Lines:
Recall that Shakespeare, like many poets, often reverses the order of subject and verb.
If helpful, highlight subject and verb.
Stage Directions:
Remember, Shakespeare does not use stage directions. To keep track of the action, pay
close attention to who is on stage and what they are doing.
Use Your Glossary and Context Clues:
Look up unfamiliar words in your glossary or use context clues. You dont have to
understand every word, but these resources can help you decipher a difficult scene.
Underline, Highlight and Take Notes!
Write on your copy! Highlights difficult passages, words to look up, or even favorite
quotes. Write notes in the margin (similar to how we annotate poetry!)
Cast of Characters and Notes:
Refer to the list of characters and any notes you may take or receive.