Adam Green: So let's sayI'm playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, andI'm thinking about Romeo's famous soliloquy in Act II, Scene II. Now, every actor has different methods in how he or she goes about attacking Shakespearean text. But as an example, let's take a look at the first couple of lines.
BUT SOFT, WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER WINDOW BREAKS?
IT IS THE EAST; AND JULIEt's THE SUN ARISE, FAIR SUN!
AND KILL THE ENVIOUS MOON.
So, the first thing I do is look at the meter and the scansion of the lines. Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter, lines of five iambs, or feet. Each of which is comprised of two syllables. The first syllable of which is unstressed and the second is stressed.
This generally translates to BA BUM, BA BUM, BA BUM, BA BUM, BA BUM
Now, while you won't come to the theatre and hear me say,
BUT SOFT, WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER WINDOW BREAKS? (melodramatically)
The meter does give me clues to the forward motion of the lines and a hint to which words are important. After all, if I just read the line as scanned the full words that pop out to me are: SOFT LIGHT BREAKS.
That's a pretty good summation of the line.
And in line two: IT IS THE EAST; AND JULIEt's THE SUN, could be one version of the scanned line. Or if we believe that Juliet should be two syllables as it's often pronounced throughout the play.
It is the east and JULI-Et's the sun. Now this makes for a regular scansion, but it allows for a natural break in the middle of the line. This natural break in the text and meter is called a caesura, where modern editors sometimes put a colon, or a semicolon. And that hints at a change in thought for me.
Perhaps I as Romeo an think about the first line and half of text of seeing a light in the distance and getting my bearings when BLAM! Caesura, I think of Juliet and she immediately takes over my mind.
BUT SOFT, WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER WINDOW BREAKS?
IT IS THE EAST; AND JULIEt's THE SUN
So I hear I am playing Romeo, thinking about Juliet whoI'm comparing to a bright star in the sky. In line 3, why do I say Arise instead of Awake, or Fair instead of Sweet. So I have to think as an actor about Romeo's smitten state of mind and how badly I want Juliet to appear at the balcony above me. How nice to have open-mouthed vowel sounds to depict my love-struck pleading.
Now these examples barely scratch the surface of studying Shakespearean text; numerous essays, books and schools of thought exist on the matter. But just by reading Shakespeare's poetry out loud an actor can get clued in on the very density of his characters.
The End.