Question 1: What is the main difference between blank verse and prose as illustrated in the passage?

Answer: Blank verse uses unrhymed iambic pentameter and is formal, while prose is straightforward and informal.

Question 2: According to the passage, how does the use of blank verse help the audience understand a character's social status?

Answer: It indicates a formal or elevated social position.

Question 1: Identify the metre used in this passage and explain how it contributes to the tone.

Answer: The passage uses iambic pentameter, which creates a rhythmic and contemplative tone.

Question 2: What stylistic feature indicates that Hamlet's speech is poetic and elevated?

Answer: The use of metre and parallel structure.

Question 1: Which extract is likely spoken by a noble character, and why?

Answer: Extract 1 is likely spoken by a noble character because it is written in blank verse, which is formal and poetic.

Question 2: What language features suggest that the second extract is informal and spoken by a common character?

Answer: Use of colloquial language and lack of poetic metre suggest informality.

Question 1: Checklist: What features should you include to make the noble character’s speech sound formal and poetic?

Answer: Use metre (iambic pentameter), elevated vocabulary, and poetic devices like parallelism.

Question 2: Checklist: What features should you include for the common character’s speech to sound informal and natural?

Answer: Use colloquial language, contractions, and straightforward sentence structures.

Question 1: What two techniques are used to show the difference in social status?

Answer: Use of metaphors and poetic metre for the nobleman; slang and simple sentences for the servant.

Question 2: Explain how these techniques influence the reader’s perception of the characters.

Answer: They clearly distinguish the social classes, portraying the nobleman as refined and elevated, while the servant appears informal and lower in status.