Style Changes:Rhythm

Rhythm  
One example is how once Shakespeare mastered traditional blank verse, He began to interrupt and vary its flow. This technique releases the new power and flexibility of the poetry in plays. Shakespeare uses the technique in the play Hamlet to convey the turmoil in Hamlet's mind for the reader. (Wright) In the video below, the reader emphasizes the turmoil in the style. While you watch the video read along with the text below it and watch for what Shakespeare does to very the flow that creates the feeling from adjusting the Rhythm. Also compare the video of the reading and flow of the play Henry IV from Shakespeares early plays.

Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting

That would not let me sleep. Methought I lay

Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly—

And prais'd be rashness for it—let us know

Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well

From reading along and comparing the video from Shakespeare's earlier plays to His later one, you can recognize the starts, stops, and pauses that allow the reader to actually feel Hamlets turbulent state of mind. Shakespeare used punctuation to adjust the rhythm to create distinctive speech patterns. The distinctive speech patterns establishes more depth in his characters and is a big part of His artistic genius. Shakespeare's ability to constantly improve came from his skills as an actor that will be shown later in "why we read." Either way in His late years He learned how to free himself from the strict conventions of his time to allow himself more artistic expression in the characters in his play and eventually himself. This freer verse tells us much about His ever evolving and improving character. (Wright)