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- 142 Notes
This fundamental law of Shakespeare's verse is subject to certain
modifications, the most important of which are as follows : —
1. After the tenth syllable an unaccented syllable (or even two
such syllables) may be added, forming what is sometimes called a
female line; as in iii. 4. 15 : "Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of
more value." The rhythm is complete with the first syllable of
value, the second being an extra eleventh syllable.
2. The accent in any part of the verse may be shifted from an
even to an odd syllable; as in iii. 4. 21 : "Cannot attain it, why
then, — hark you hither!" and 79: "Knowing my mind, you
wrong me, Master Fenton." In both lines (female lines) the
accent is shifted from the second to the first syllable. This
change occurs very rarely in the tenth syllable, and seldom in the
fourth ; and it is not allowable in two successive accented syllables.
3. An extra unaccented syllable may occur in any part of the
line ; as in iii. 4. 5, 13, and 87. In 5 the second syllable of being
is superfluous; in 13 the last syllable of albeit; and in 87 the
word a.
4. Any unaccented syllable, occurring in an even place immedi-
ately before or after an even syllable which is properly accented, is
reckoned as accented for the purposes of the verse ; as, for instance,
in iii. 4. 9 and 10. In 9 the last syllable of impossible, and in 10
that oi property, are metrically equivalent to accented syllables.
5. In many instances in Shakespeare words must be lengthened
in order to fill out the rhythm : —
(a) In a large class of words in which e or i is followed by an-
other vowel, the e or i is made a separate syllable ; as ocean, opin-
ion, soldier, patience, partial, marriage, etc. For instance, in this
play, iii. 4. 74 ("Nay, Master Page, be not impatient") appears to
have only nine syllables, but impatient is a quadrisyllable ; and
the same is true of submission in iv. 4. 1 1 : "Be not as extreme in
submission." This lengthening occurs most frequently at the end
of the line.
(^) Many monosyllables ending in r, re^ rs, res, preceded by a
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