Question

Why did Shakespeare's noble characters speak in iambic pentameter while commoners spoke mainly in blank verse or prose?

A.To make the noble class sound silly and snobbish so that the commoners in the audience could laugh at them
B.To demonstrate his own intelligence and prove that he was also a part of the noble class
C.To show that Shakespeare respected the nobility and held the lower classes in contempt
D.To create a distinction between the educated nobility and the coarse lower classes

Answer 1

The correct answer should be D.To create a distinction between the educated nobility and the coarse lower classes

Since the pentameter speek is more lyrical and more "sophisticated" it was used to show how people of high ranking were advanced. Of course, he did not dislike the commoners, he just wanted to show that they lack education.