What is a 'feminine ending' in a line of blank verse?
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Correct answer: An extra unstressed syllable added at the end of a ten-syllable line
A feminine ending occurs when a line of iambic pentameter finishes on an additional unstressed syllable. Shakespeare used this variation more frequently in his later plays to create a more relaxed, conversational rhythm.
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More Blank Verse questions
- In Shakespeare’s plays, which group of characters is most likely to speak in prose rather than blank verse?
- What is the term for a pause or break in the middle of a line of blank verse?
- When a character's speech continues from one line of verse to the next without a grammatical pause, it is called:
- Which metrical substitution involves reversing the stress of an iamb to a stressed-unstressed pattern, usually at the start of a line?
- What is an 'end-stopped' line in Shakespearean verse?
- Which of the following is a 'shared line' in Shakespearean drama?