I've never heard anyone say "ne-VER" and I'll bet you haven't either. There is only one two-syllable word in this line, and we always say it the same way, with the accent on the first syllable. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.īy numbering the syllables of this line from 1 to 10, you'll notice that all the important words (those getting stress) are on even numbers. Here is an example of a famous line that follows this pattern: A typical line strings together five of these unstressed-STRESSED patterns. Shakespeare tends to arrange these patterns in a form starting with an unaccented syllable and following it with a stressed syllable. What kind of rhythm do Shakespeare's lines have? They get their pulse by alternating the natural patterns of accented and unaccented words or syllables. (I frequently think that scansion would be less scary if we just called it "checking the rhythm.") (It is also marginally easier to speak because there are no unintentional tongue twisters as are so common in prose.) Scansion, despite the imposing sound of the word itself, is just the simple practice of checking the verse to be sure you understand its rhythm. The actual sound of lines written in verse can be comprehended more easily by a listener than prose, because in addition to the tones and pitches, rhythmic clues help convey the message. On a very fundamental level the purpose of writing a speech in verse in the first place is not to be "poetic," but to give it a pulse that makes it easier to speak and easier to hear. Scansion is the practice of checking the rhythm of speech written in verse. When you encounter parts of the plays that are in verse, then it is time to think about scansion. Prose doesn't require any special treatment. You might be surprised, however, (after hearing all your life what a wonderful poet Shakespeare is) how much of the plays are not written in verse form. (I told you this guide assumes nothing!) If you look down the left margin of your page and see that every lines begins with a capital then you are seeing verse. You can tell prose on the page because the words go all the way to the edge of the line, and the new line does not start with a capital letter. The first thing to know is that much of Shakespeare's writing is not in verse, and there is nothing to scan. This guide is for those who are bold at heart and short on time. There are a few notes at the end that will help those who want to go further to find sources that explore this topic in greater depth. Scholarly reference is kept to a minimum, and technical terminology is usually avoided. It will give the reader the details needed to get started, and much of what s/he will ever need to know, but it is truly down and dirty. I'll admit there are some fine points that can cow even the experts, but (for the actor) most of what needs to be done is quick and easy. ![]() The good news is that scansion isn't all that hard. My purpose in writing this guide is to help anyone facing this task for the first time to learn a few simple principles that will teach them everything they have to know to get started. ![]() ![]() Scansion cannot be finessed!Īs an acting teacher I find such rumors cruelly overstated. ![]() That way is (I frequently hear) a closely guarded secret and incredibly difficult even for those who are allowed to be initiated into its mysteries. But somehow word has gotten out that there is a non-negotiably right way to scan verse. Odd words can be looked up, often right there on the page in the extensive footnotes. The Down and Dirty Guide to Scanning Verse: Some Hints to Help with Sounding Shakespeare's Wordsįor actors about to speak a few of Shakespeare's lines aloud for the first time the most intimidating thing is rarely the depth of the characterization, or the memorization, or even the unfamiliar language. 63)/RD/Rect/Subj(Typewritten Text)/Subtype/FreeText/T(southallsp)/Type/Annot>
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