Gratuitous Iambic Pentameter: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
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[[File:XKCD_iambic_5meter_2390.jpg|link=Xkcd (Webcomic)|right]]
[[File:XKCD_iambic_5meter_2390.jpg|link=Xkcd|right]]
Sometimes in works, there is a certain kind,
Sometimes in works, there is a certain kind,


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* The musical ''Les Demoiselles de Rochefort'' (''[[The Young Girls Of Rochefort]]'') has a scene in which everyone speaks in alexandrines (the classical French line and equivalent of the iambic pentameter.)
* The musical ''Les Demoiselles de Rochefort'' (''[[The Young Girls Of Rochefort]]'') has a scene in which everyone speaks in alexandrines (the classical French line and equivalent of the iambic pentameter.)
* [[James Gunn]] told [[Lloyd Kaufman]] he wrote ''[[Tromeo and Juliet]]'' completely in iambic pentameter. He didn't, but there is a lot of it.
* [[James Gunn]] told [[Lloyd Kaufman]] he wrote ''[[Tromeo and Juliet]]'' completely in iambic pentameter. He didn't, but there is a lot of it.
* The medieval parts of [[Roger Corman]]'s ''[[The Undead (Film)|The Undead]]'' have much of the dialog in varying types of blank verse.
* The medieval parts of [[Roger Corman]]'s ''[[The Undead (film)|The Undead]]'' have much of the dialog in varying types of blank verse.


== Literature ==
== Literature ==
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* In [[The Particolored Unicorn]] by [[John De Cles]], all unicorns love to show off- some speak Sanskrit, some recite poetry, in order to be impressive pets. Lifesaver, the titular unicorn, speaks in iambic pentameter. As with the Etrigan example above, he drops it at one point in his excitement.
* In [[The Particolored Unicorn]] by [[John De Cles]], all unicorns love to show off- some speak Sanskrit, some recite poetry, in order to be impressive pets. Lifesaver, the titular unicorn, speaks in iambic pentameter. As with the Etrigan example above, he drops it at one point in his excitement.
* In [[Poul Anderson]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Tempest]]'' the dialog is pretty much entirely in iambic pentameter, mostly unrhymed.
* In [[Poul Anderson]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Tempest]]'' the dialog is pretty much entirely in iambic pentameter, mostly unrhymed.
* The [[Crazy Awesome|main character]] in [[The Wise Mans Fear|"The Wise Man's Fear]] by Patrick Rothfuss ends up spending some time in [[Magical Land|Fae]], where most conversations seem to be carried out in rhyming couplets. It's implied that this is a somewhat whimsical form of amusement, rather than a natural speech pattern.
* The [[Crazy Awesome|main character]] in [[The Wise Man's Fear|"The Wise Man's Fear]] by Patrick Rothfuss ends up spending some time in [[Magical Land|Fae]], where most conversations seem to be carried out in rhyming couplets. It's implied that this is a somewhat whimsical form of amusement, rather than a natural speech pattern.
* [[Lord Peter Wimsey]] keeps doing this unintentionally in Busman's Holiday. The other characters lampshade it.
* [[Lord Peter Wimsey]] keeps doing this unintentionally in Busman's Holiday. The other characters lampshade it.


== Live Action TV ==
== Live Action TV ==


* ''[[Star Trek the Original Series]]'': One of the reasons Captain James Kirk's dialogue sounds so stilted or fake is that [[William Shatner]] insisted on using varying iambic and trochaic rhythms, presumably due to his Shakespearean training. It was even parodied on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway]]?''
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'': One of the reasons Captain James Kirk's dialogue sounds so stilted or fake is that [[William Shatner]] insisted on using varying iambic and trochaic rhythms, presumably due to his Shakespearean training. It was even parodied on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]?''
{{quote| '''Ryan Stiles:''' Spock, ''put'' the ''trib''bles ''down'' and ''help'' me ''with'' the ''ship!''}}
{{quote| '''Ryan Stiles:''' Spock, ''put'' the ''trib''bles ''down'' and ''help'' me ''with'' the ''ship!''}}
* Maldis, a two-episode villain on ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'' once took the form of a wizard who always spoke in iambic pentameter.
* Maldis, a two-episode villain on ''[[Farscape]]'' once took the form of a wizard who always spoke in iambic pentameter.
* In the third season of [[White Collar]], [[Conspiracy Theorist]] Mozzie has started ''knocking on Neal's door'' in iambic pentameter.
* In the third season of [[White Collar]], [[Conspiracy Theorist]] Mozzie has started ''knocking on Neal's door'' in iambic pentameter.
* An entire episode of ''[[Moonlighting]]'' consisted of lines in iambic pentameter. For bonus awesome, it was a hilarious parody of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]].''
* An entire episode of ''[[Moonlighting]]'' consisted of lines in iambic pentameter. For bonus awesome, it was a hilarious parody of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]].''
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* ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' wouldn't be itself without this.
* ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' wouldn't be itself without this.
* A video game example can be found ''[[Final Fantasy XII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XII]]'', where the immortals that muck about with history actually do, for the most part, speak iambic tetrameter. The rebel of their number speaks in iambic pentameter.
* A video game example can be found ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'', where the immortals that muck about with history actually do, for the most part, speak iambic tetrameter. The rebel of their number speaks in iambic pentameter.
** This may be a reference to Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', in which the Witches speak trochaic tetrameter (four feet, alternating stress, starting with a stressed syllable) to help illustrate their otherworldly nature.
** This may be a reference to Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', in which the Witches speak trochaic tetrameter (four feet, alternating stress, starting with a stressed syllable) to help illustrate their otherworldly nature.
* Bastian in ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' 9 speaks entirely in iambic pentameter. Elincia also uses it for a [[Rousing Speech]].
* Bastian in ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' 9 speaks entirely in iambic pentameter. Elincia also uses it for a [[Rousing Speech]].
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== Webcomics ==
== Webcomics ==


* ''[[Xkcd (Webcomic)|Xkcd]]'' has [http://xkcd.com/79/ a strip] featuring actual iambic pentameter.
* ''[[Xkcd]]'' has [http://xkcd.com/79/ a strip] featuring actual iambic pentameter.
* Hibachi and the other [[Our Dragons Are Different|dragons]] in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob (Webcomic)|The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''
* Hibachi and the other [[Our Dragons Are Different|dragons]] in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''
* ''[[Questionable Content (Webcomic)|Questionable Content]]'' has a library with a [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=691 peculiar application process].
* ''[[Questionable Content]]'' has a library with a [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=691 peculiar application process].
* ''[[Ozy and Millie (Webcomic)|Ozy and Millie]]'' once had an iambic pen''slam''eter, where they poked fun at each other in iambic pentameter. Then Llewellen showed up and invited them to pie in iambic pentameter, which Ozy declared a coincidence; he always talks like that when baking pie.
* ''[[Ozy and Millie]]'' once had an iambic pen''slam''eter, where they poked fun at each other in iambic pentameter. Then Llewellen showed up and invited them to pie in iambic pentameter, which Ozy declared a coincidence; he always talks like that when baking pie.
* One of the languages you can view the fancomic ''[[Darths and Droids (Webcomic)|Darths and Droids]]'' in is "'''[[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|poetry]]'''".
* One of the languages you can view the fancomic ''[[Darths and Droids]]'' in is "'''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|poetry]]'''".


== Western Animation ==
== Western Animation ==


* ''[[Underdog (Animation)|Underdog]]'' speaks in rhyming couplets. Interestingly, his alter-ego Shoeshine Boy does not.
* ''[[Underdog (animation)|Underdog]]'' speaks in rhyming couplets. Interestingly, his alter-ego Shoeshine Boy does not.
* In the Hungarian translation of ''[[The Flintstones]]'', everybody speaks in rhymes. [[Mind Screw|MindScrewing]], indeed.
* In the Hungarian translation of ''[[The Flintstones]]'', everybody speaks in rhymes. [[Mind Screw|MindScrewing]], indeed.
* Wordsworth in ''[[Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats (Animation)|Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats]]'' doesn't take the name of a poet for nothing.
* Wordsworth in ''[[Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats]]'' doesn't take the name of a poet for nothing.
* Japeth the mountain goat in ''[[Hoodwinked]]'' can't talk, only sing, [[Cursed With Awesome|because of a curse]]. Except when he forgot. [[Blatant Lies|Exceee-e-e-eeept he di-i-i-iddy-iddy-idn't]].
* Japeth the mountain goat in ''[[Hoodwinked]]'' can't talk, only sing, [[Cursed with Awesome|because of a curse]]. Except when he forgot. [[Blatant Lies|Exceee-e-e-eeept he di-i-i-iddy-iddy-idn't]].
* A ''really'' gratuitous example from the third ''[[Madagascar]]'' film: "You FOOL! How COULD you LET them GET aWAY!?"
* A ''really'' gratuitous example from the third ''[[Madagascar]]'' film: "You FOOL! How COULD you LET them GET aWAY!?"


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