Year 7 · English · Introduction to Shakespeare · Lesson 3

Shakespeare's language

Shakespeare's language: old words like thou, art and hath, verse and prose, and the da-DUM rhythm of iambic pentameter, using lines from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

17-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

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What your child will learn

Translate common Shakespearean words
Explain verse and prose
Identify iambic pentameter
Explain what a line shows about a character

The method

Read aloud.
Swap old words.
Own words.
What it shows.

Key words: iambic pentameter, verse, prose, thou, syllable, stress.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

What does ‘thou’ mean?

Step 1: Pronoun

Answer: you

Question 2

What does ‘art’ mean in ‘thou art’?

Step 1: Verb

Answer: are

Question 3

What does ‘thy’ mean?

Step 1: Possessive

Answer: your