Hamlet in Denmark: the Dane Abides

Hamlet in Denmark: The Dane Abides

C. Fee

DIS

Spring 2015

Terms & Techniques

SCANSION

Thesyllable-by-syllableanalysisof verse,tohelpdiscernhow thepoetcreatesmeaning.

VERSEPROSE

1.Verse–writingthatconformstoapatternofstressed andunstressedsyllables

e.g.Whatfireisinmineeares?canthisbetrue?

StandIcondemn'dforprideandscorneso much? Contempt,farewell,andmaidenpride,adew,

No glorylivesbehindethebackeof such. And Benedicke,loveon,Iwillrequitethee, Tamingmywildehearttothylovinghand:

2. Prose– writingthatconformstono discernablepattern e.g.Thiscanbeno trick,the conferencewas sadly

born,theyhavethetruthofthisfromHero, theyseem topitytheLady:itseemsher affectionshavethefull bent:loveme? whyit mustberequited:

Forthepurposeof thisclass,wewillfocusourattentionon Versespeaking.Butknow, mostverseguidelinesmaybe appliedtoprosespeaking.Proseisanindicationthatthe charactermightbeoflower class.

IAMBICPENTAMETER

Shakespearewrote,ashisbasis for rhythm,tenbeatstotheverseline.

In sooth,/Iknow /notwhy/Iam/ so sad:

Itwear/iesme;/you say/itwear/iesyou;(Merchant)

Usuallytherearefivefeettoeachverseline.Eachfootusuallyhastwo syllableseach.

Butsoft, whatlightthroughyonderwindow breaks?(RJ) What passion weighstheseweightsupon mytongue? (AYLI) WhenIdo counttheclockthattellsthetime. (Sonnet12) When, in disgracewith Fortune and men’seyes,

I all alonebeweepmyoutcaststate,(Sonnet29)

OncemoreuntotheBreach,dearefriends,oncemore; Or closetheWallup withour Englishdead:

In Peace,there'snothingso becomesaman,

As modeststillnesse,andhumilitie:(H5)

Kind of feet…

1. Iamb:unstressed,stressed

2. Trochee:stressed,unstressed

3. Spondee:stressed,stressed

4. Pyrrhic:unstressed,unstressed

5. Anapest:unstressed,unstressed,stressed

6. Dactyl:stressed,unstressed,unstressed

7. Amphabrach:unstressed,stressed,unstressed

METRICALVARIATIONS:Shakespeareandhis contemporariesused iambic pentameterastheirnormativeverseform.Oneofthereasonstheydidso was so thattheycould varyit inordertopointup withinit certainwords,moments,sounds, feelings,thoughts.

1. Trochaicfeet(trochaicwords)and/orSpondees

e.g. / Wisdomandgoodnesstothevileseemvile;
Filthssavourbutthemselves.Whathaveyou done? Tigers,notdaughters,whathaveyou perform’d? / (Lear)
Nowisthewinterof ourdiscontent
Madeglorioussummerbythissun of York. / (R3)
Flat treason‘gainstthe kinglystateofyouth. / (LLL)

2. FeminineEnding– extraunaccentedsyllableattheendofalineofverse e.g.Tobeor nottobe;thatisthequestion. (Hamlet)

Tomorrowandtomorrowandtomorrow(Macbeth) Iunderstandyou not:mygriefsaredouble. (LLL)

3. Alexandrine-(12 syllables)

e.g. / But you mustknow,yourfatherlostafather, Thatfatherlost,losthis,andthesurvivorbound Infilialobligation,for someterm
Todo obsequioussorrow. / (Hamlet)
Thatyou mightknow it,would muchbetterpleaseme
Than to demand what‘tis.Yourbrothercannot live. / (Measure)

4. MissingFeet– usuallyindicatesapausebeforeor aftertheline– timefora thoughtor aphysicalstagedirection.

e.g. / Bringforththesemen.
BusyandGreene,Iwillnotvexyour souls, / (R2)
O, vengence!
Why, whatan assamI? Thisismostbrave. / (Hamlet)
O!AndIforsooth inlove!
I, thathavebeenloveswhip; / (LLL)

5. Sharedlines – no pauses,spoken inrapidsuccession. e.g.King.Death.

Hubert.Mylord?

King.A grave.

Hubert.Heshallnotlive.

King.Enough.(KJ)

6. MonosyllabicWords,Phrases or Lines– usuallytellstheactortoslow down, becausetheideasor thoughtsyou areworkingthroughare important.

e.g.Tobeor nottobe,thatistheQuestion:

Mylovetotheeissounde,sans crackeor flaw.

ADDITIONAL TERMS & IDEAS…

1. Antithesis– Findingoppositesinthetextwillhelp you findmeaning.Play theseup so theaudiencewillunderstandtheproblemyourcharacterisdealing with.Peopleuseoppositestoindicatereason(firetowater,lifetodeath,heaven to hell, etc…)

e.g.Thisspiritdumbtous, willspeaktohim

NowistheWinterof ourDiscontent,

MadegloriousSummerbythisSon ofYorke:

2. Rhymes- allowthecharactertoenjoyhisor herown cleverness,andusually indicatetheendofaspeech.Avoid downwardinflections.

3. Smallwords – (and, yet,but,or, therefore)alwaysindicatea changeof thought.

4. DoubleEntendreBanter– Thedirtybits. And thelightplayfuljoking.Whichsometimeshavedeepsub-text.Enjoy.

Petruc.Whoknows notwherea Waspedoeswearehissting? In histaile.

Kate.In histongue?

Petruc.Whosetongue.

Kate.Yours ifyou talkoftales, andso farewell.

Petruc.Whatwithmytongueinyourtaile?