Prose and Verse in One
Hello again everyone, I must say that I have never really thought about why poetry isn't included in plays very much anymore. In all honesty, I paid more attention to the plot when reading Shakespeare than his writing style. Unless I was either asked to by the teacher or said teacher pointed it out. Thinking back on it however, I must admit that Shakespeare's plays were made more intriguing by the verse he added. I must agree with Janice that if more writers added verse to their texts, they might be made more entertaining because of it. Here is an example of this type of verse from my favourite Shakespeare play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream":
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind:
Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste:
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured every where:
For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne,
He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine;
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt...
(http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/midsummer/midsummer.1.1.html)
It's part of a speech made by Helena in Act one scene one of the play. For those who haven't read it Helena is in love with Demetrius, as shown in this passage, but he's in love with Hermia, who is in love with Lysander. But her father wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, well there a plenty of wacky things that happen involving the King and Queen of the Faeries and hilarity ensues. Getting back to verse in drama, it just sounds better to my way of thinking. Not to mention, it makes you pay more attention to what is being said than you would ordinary prose. All in all, it would make a wonderful addition to the plays of today as well as to some movies. This is number two down, two more to go. Ciao all,
-Tricia
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind:
Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste:
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured every where:
For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne,
He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine;
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt...
(http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/midsummer/midsummer.1.1.html)
It's part of a speech made by Helena in Act one scene one of the play. For those who haven't read it Helena is in love with Demetrius, as shown in this passage, but he's in love with Hermia, who is in love with Lysander. But her father wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, well there a plenty of wacky things that happen involving the King and Queen of the Faeries and hilarity ensues. Getting back to verse in drama, it just sounds better to my way of thinking. Not to mention, it makes you pay more attention to what is being said than you would ordinary prose. All in all, it would make a wonderful addition to the plays of today as well as to some movies. This is number two down, two more to go. Ciao all,
-Tricia