The diction of a play is another way of saying the language that the characters use.
Types of language
Verse: lines written in a poetic meter but the ends of sentences or phrases do not rhyme.
Prose: “ordinary language”. It is the language that people speak in, and doesn’t contain any of the metrical structure of poetry. Blank verse is specifically a type of poetry.
Identify three characters who switch from verse to prose in their speech. Find and copy two extracts for each character that illustrate this change.
King Lear
Verse:
During the first half of the play Lear tends to speak in verse most often, this benefits his social status and position in the great chain of being.
“Peace Kent!
Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
I loved her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight!”
Prose:
During the second half of the play King Lear often switches between verse and prose. Prose is often used for characters of a low born status, casual conversation or characters in insanity
“Look with thine ears. See how yond justice rails upon yond simple thief. Hark, in thine ear. Change places, and handy dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief?”
In some scenes where King Lear is loosing his mind he is still talking in verse, however it is seen as jumbled and illogical, though it does display Lear’s confused and mad state of mind. Such as;
“Now, now, now, now,
Pull off my boots. Harder, Harder. So.”
When Cordelia declares she has “nothing” to say about her love for her father, Lear abruptly switches to speaking in prose. This shows us that he is no longer thinking clearly, and we understand that Cordelia has upset him.
At the end of the play Lear speaks to Cordelia in verse, It is considered less formal and contains more lyrical imagery.
For instance;
“We two alone will sing like birds i’the cage.
When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down,
And ask of thee forgivness.
This above is deemed as a reflection of what Lear has gained from his own life journey.
Throughout the play King Lear’s language, including the use of verse, prose and metaphors, reveal not only his state of mind but also his social status, true feelings towards others and inner changes.
The Fool
Prose is most used for characters of a low social status. However the use of prose and verse in King Lear often determines the difference between truthful speech and untruthful speech. In all of Shakespeare’s plays, lower class characters speak prose while higher status characters speak verse, but in King Lear verse seems to be the language of deception, while prose is the language of honesty. When Lear is talking to the Fool, Lear also uses prose, which shows that he is comfortable with the Fool (casual conversation) and doesn’t feel the need to assert his noble status. Lear’s use of prose also shows that he trusts the fool enough to be honest with him.
“Mark it nuncle.
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score.”
When the fool giving advice he tends to speak in verse. The Fool gives Lear advice about giving all that he has away. He is telling the king to be smart and not give into impulsiveness. By the middle of the play the fool has earnt the trust of Lear. Lear takes on what the fool has to say so he rises to Lear’s
Why? For taking one’s part that’s out of favour.
Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou’lt
catch cold shortly. There, take my coxcomb! Why,
this fellow has banished two on’s daughters, and
did the third a blessing against his will. If thou follow
him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb.–How
now, nuncle? Would I had two coxcombs and two daughters!
The Fool is telling the king how much of a fool he is being for giving his kingdom up to his daughters, and “blessing” Cordelia with banishment. Rather than giving Lear advice on what to do in his situation he is angry/frustrated that Lear would just give up his kingdom. The fool at the start of the play hasn’t earn’t Lear’s trust and so doesn’t have an equal relationship with him.
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