You know that thing that Shakespeare does where he just inserts apostrophes into two words and makes them one/to shorten one word? (For't aka "for it" and " 'pear" instead of "appear" for example.) The reason for this is because Shakespeare usually writes in iambic pentameter, which is a form of poetry where each line has five iambs and sometimes a certain amount of syllables. Its not important for you to know what iambs are, but the insertion of apostrophes is to keep the syllable count down. By saying "for't "rather than "for it" Shakespeare has one syllable for two words rather than two.
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Understanding Shakespeare
Non-FictionHave trouble reading Shakespeare? Here's a few thing you might not know that will help you better understand. I explain a few things about Shakespeare's plays, hopefully helping you to better understand them and maybe even appreciate them! If you co...
