Final answer:
Shakespeare may pause from rhyme in rhyming couplets to place emphasis on certain moments, to express intense emotions, differentiate dialogues, or to underscore thematic points in his plays.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shakespeare's use of rhyming couplets in his plays is often for rhythm, thematic elements, and emphasis. He sometimes pauses the rhyme to emphasize specific moments or lines, to showcase the intensity of emotions, to differentiate character dialogues, or to highlight key thematic elements. For instance, in plays like “As You Like It,” the breaking of a perfect iambic meter with trochaic, anapestic, or dactylic words adds an element of interest and supports the normal pronunciation.
Moreover, this manipulation of rhythm can be used to convey deeper meaning and to enhance the emotional feeling of the verse. Classic forms such as heroic couplets, used by poets like Alexander Pope, had rules that applied pressure on the writer in ways that could result in unexpected surprises. Similarly, Shakespeare might have disrupted the meter or rhyme scheme to add depth to his work, to illustrate character traits, or to maintain his audience's focus using rhetorical devices.