Exercise 1: Fundamentals of Metre and Rhythm

Romeo and Juliet, Prologue, lines 1–14

The Prologue to Romeo and Juliet is an excellent text to start on because

a) the rhythm is very regular, and

b) the simple story-telling tells us very clearly when the sense stress and the metre stress do not coincide. As you will see, I have marked the stressed syllables.

Two things to note before you begin: First, regardless of the group's reading or acting proficiency, it is always a good idea to start with some initial voice work such as relaxation and breathing exercises, plus muscularity, in order to focus students on their own voice and sound; this informs their listening. For these exercises, refer to Workshop 4 as well as Andrew Wade's Preparation Workshop (Workshop 5).

Second, when you first read a piece together, try sitting on the floor. I think it subconsciously removes the students' judgmental mind-set and frees them to respond to the work. If it is difficult for some to do this, let them sit on chairs—it is important that everyone feel comfortable.

1. Read the Prologue through together as a group once, quite quietly. Discuss points of meaning that are not clear.

2. Now read it again, gently tapping out the metre as you go. Notice where the sense stress and the metre stress do not coincide. You will notice the following:

The first two lines are fairly regular; in the third we get the first major break in rhythm with the two words grudge and break next to each other, both requiring stress. These words knock against each other, making them sound quite violent. In the eighth line, death and bury come together, and both need strong stress. Then there are the two line endings—dignity and mutiny—where the metre stress is on the final syllable, which would be absurd. All of this has to be juggled in order to convey the meaning while keeping the basic dynamic of the metre.

3. Speak the lines again as a group, taking into consideration the length and texture of the language—the substance of the sounds. Notice the lengths of some words— household, for instance, takes a long time to speak: the ‘ow' vowel is long and diphthongal, and the second syllable contains the diphthong ‘oh,' which is made longer by the three voiced consonants at the end. It is a very full word that takes time to speak.

We make up the time, however, in the last part of the line, which ­consists mainly of unvoiced consonants and short vowels: both alike in ­dignity.

Then there is the very full line with misadventured piteous in the middle, an extraordinary mixture of syllables. We continually negotiate the length and variation of the sounds in order to make them work with the underlying beat—like singing the blues.

4. With the group standing, speak the text through again, but this time walk around the space and change direction on every punctuation mark. The purpose is to define each thought and be aware of how each thought leads to the next one and qualifies it. This keeps the speaking active.

5. Speak the sonnet around in a circle, with each reader taking one line. Do this several times, focussing on how the readers pass the story on to the next person. They must take on other people's rhythms, yet keep their own sense of the dynamic of the story.

6. To discover the possible breaks in a line—the caesura —once again read the text around the circle, but this time each person should read only half a line. This will make you aware of the possible breaks in a line that give a moment of suspension (not a pause) when you can let a word drop in to the listener, which then illuminates the story.

Notice that some lines need a break and some do not. For example, in the first line a moment is needed after two households to allow the listener to imagine a household—not just a house, but all the people and things inside it. In the second line pause a moment after Verona so listeners can place the city in their minds. And in the third line there must be a moment after grudge, to illumine the underlying tension of the story.

However, the fifth line, From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, starts us on a different journey, and there is no break. The last two lines are quite regular and take you back into your own world of watching the play.

7. Stand and read together, keeping the sense but jostling each other while reading. You will feel how this releases the muscularity of the words and you'll find a different impetus to feed the words and actions. This exercise releases the voice and makes you aware of the necessity of the language and its sometimes violent nature. The sense will come through once you stop explaining it.

8. One person stands in the middle of the group and reads while the others interrogate him or her. The reader will experience the need to get the meaning across to someone else, which will give the speaking an energy—a drive—that will both keep your interest and make the words understood.

You will see how all of these points—the length of vowels and consonants, the possible caesura (the break in thought)—all contribute to the infinite variety of movements possible within each line. This variety must be found and enjoyed.

I have explained these exercises in detail because they are the basis of the work we do on any of the verse text in Shakespeare. Performing the exercises often reveals nuances and layers of thought which then contribute to the discovery of the meaning. Perhaps most importantly, they make us aware of the underlying dynamic of the metre, and this is what is exciting to the listener. Working in blank verse is like singing the blues or singing reggae—it is the syncopation under the line that is exciting. But ultimately it is the speaker's own attitude about the meaning that will define the result.