This paper discusses Shakespeare and iambic pentamenter. Meter is the regular rhythmic pattern of a speech, or poem, or in the case of Shakespeare, a play. Iambic pentameter is one of the most common metrical schemes in English, because it sounds the most like ordinary speech. It only makes sense that Shakespeare would choose to write his plays in such a way that the words would sound natural coming out of the mouths of the actors, and yet retain a poetic quality that adds a greater depth and sense of drama to their meaning. Of course, people do not always rhyme their sentences when they speak, and therefore it makes sense that Shakespeare would choose to write his plays largely in what is called, blank verse. That is, iambic pentameter that does not rhyme. There are exceptions, of course.
