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Blank Verse in Shakespeare's Plays

Description: Blank Verse in Shakespeare's Plays
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: blank verse shakespeare literature
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Which of the following plays by Shakespeare is written entirely in blank verse?

  1. Romeo and Juliet

  2. Hamlet

  3. A Midsummer Night's Dream

  4. The Tempest


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Romeo and Juliet is the only play by Shakespeare that is written entirely in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter.

What is the most common meter used in Shakespeare's blank verse?

  1. Iambic pentameter

  2. Trochaic octameter

  3. Anapestic dimeter

  4. Spondaic hexameter


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Iambic pentameter is the most common meter used in Shakespeare's blank verse. It consists of five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables, with the stress falling on the second syllable of each pair.

Which of the following lines from Shakespeare's plays is an example of blank verse?

  1. To be or not to be, that is the question:

  2. But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

  3. The quality of mercy is not strain'd:

  4. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players:


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The line "To be or not to be, that is the question:" from Hamlet is an example of blank verse. It is written in iambic pentameter and does not rhyme.

What is the purpose of using blank verse in Shakespeare's plays?

  1. To create a more realistic and natural dialogue

  2. To make the plays more accessible to a wider audience

  3. To add a sense of grandeur and formality to the plays

  4. To make the plays more memorable and quotable


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Shakespeare used blank verse in his plays to create a more realistic and natural dialogue. Blank verse is more flexible than rhymed verse and allows for a wider range of expression.

Which of the following characters in Shakespeare's plays speaks primarily in blank verse?

  1. Hamlet

  2. Romeo

  3. Falstaff

  4. Bottom


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hamlet is the character in Shakespeare's plays who speaks primarily in blank verse. This is because Hamlet is a thoughtful and introspective character, and blank verse allows him to express his complex thoughts and emotions more effectively.

How does Shakespeare use blank verse to create dramatic tension in his plays?

  1. By using enjambment to create a sense of urgency

  2. By using caesura to create a sense of suspense

  3. By using alliteration to create a sense of rhythm

  4. By using assonance to create a sense of harmony


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Shakespeare uses enjambment, or the running over of a sentence from one line to the next, to create a sense of urgency in his plays. This technique helps to build tension and suspense, and it can also be used to emphasize important words or phrases.

What is the significance of the use of blank verse in Shakespeare's plays?

  1. It helps to establish the plays' historical setting

  2. It reflects the social and political context of the plays

  3. It adds to the plays' emotional impact

  4. It enhances the plays' poetic beauty


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The use of blank verse in Shakespeare's plays enhances their poetic beauty. Blank verse is a flexible and expressive meter that allows Shakespeare to create a wide range of effects, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Which of the following plays by Shakespeare contains the most lines of blank verse?

  1. Hamlet

  2. King Lear

  3. Macbeth

  4. Antony and Cleopatra


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hamlet is the play by Shakespeare that contains the most lines of blank verse. It has over 2,000 lines of blank verse, which is more than any other play.

How does Shakespeare use blank verse to create a sense of character in his plays?

  1. By using different meters for different characters

  2. By using different rhyme schemes for different characters

  3. By using different diction for different characters

  4. By using different grammatical structures for different characters


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Shakespeare uses different diction for different characters to create a sense of character in his plays. For example, he uses more formal diction for characters of high social status and more informal diction for characters of lower social status.

What is the most famous soliloquy in Shakespeare's plays that is written in blank verse?

  1. To be or not to be, that is the question:

  2. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players:

  3. The quality of mercy is not strain'd:

  4. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow:


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The most famous soliloquy in Shakespeare's plays that is written in blank verse is "To be or not to be, that is the question:" from Hamlet. This soliloquy is a meditation on life, death, and the meaning of existence.

How does Shakespeare use blank verse to create a sense of place in his plays?

  1. By using different meters for different settings

  2. By using different rhyme schemes for different settings

  3. By using different diction for different settings

  4. By using different grammatical structures for different settings


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Shakespeare uses different diction for different settings to create a sense of place in his plays. For example, he uses more pastoral diction for scenes set in the countryside and more urban diction for scenes set in the city.

Which of the following plays by Shakespeare is the only one that does not contain any blank verse?

  1. The Merry Wives of Windsor

  2. The Taming of the Shrew

  3. A Midsummer Night's Dream

  4. Love's Labour's Lost


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Merry Wives of Windsor is the only play by Shakespeare that does not contain any blank verse. It is written entirely in prose.

How does Shakespeare use blank verse to create a sense of time in his plays?

  1. By using different meters for different time periods

  2. By using different rhyme schemes for different time periods

  3. By using different diction for different time periods

  4. By using different grammatical structures for different time periods


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Shakespeare uses different diction for different time periods to create a sense of time in his plays. For example, he uses more archaic diction for scenes set in the past and more modern diction for scenes set in the present.

Which of the following is an example of a feminine ending in blank verse?

  1. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

  2. The quality of mercy is not strain'd:

  3. To be or not to be, that is the question:

  4. But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A feminine ending in blank verse occurs when the final syllable of the line is unstressed. The line "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" from The Merchant of Venice is an example of a feminine ending.

Which of the following is an example of a masculine ending in blank verse?

  1. To be or not to be, that is the question:

  2. The quality of mercy is not strain'd:

  3. But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

  4. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A masculine ending in blank verse occurs when the final syllable of the line is stressed. The line "To be or not to be, that is the question:" from Hamlet is an example of a masculine ending.

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