How To Memorize Shakespeare Lines

Take the fear out of Shakespeare with these top line-learning tips. 

Written by

Jenna Rodway

Published on

BlogActing

Sometimes, memorizing lines from a modern play can feel like a big task, let alone a Shakespeare play! Due to the poetic verse and archaic language that Shakespeare wrote with, it can feel really overwhelming when we first come to learn our lines.

There are lots of tools an actor can use to work on a scene or Shakespearean monologue. This includes writing out your lines, listening to a recording of them on repeat, or going over your text line by line until it all sticks. These are all useful and can apply to any text, including Shakespeare. However, there are tools you can use to make memorizing Shakespeare easier and quicker to understand.

The things about Shakespeare that feel scary can often be the exact things we can use in order to memorize our lines more quickly. Here are my top tips to help you understand and memorize Shakespeare lines with confidence. 

How to memorize Shakespeare lines

Understand The Text 

One of the most important tools you can use to memorize Shakespeare lines is to understand what the text is saying. This way, the text will mean something to you. It will be easier to connect with and recall. The first step to understanding the text is translating it.

Sometimes, the poetic language in Shakespeare’s plays can feel confusing and difficult to understand. So, try to translate every line into modern language and put it in your own words so that you can connect to the meaning. If there are any specific words you don’t understand, then make sure to look them up. Once you have a full understanding of the text, it will be far easier to memorize your lines. 

Understand The Character

Another very useful tool to memorize lines is to understand your character.

First of all, think about who your character is in the play. What position do they hold, and why has Shakespeare included them? What is their function? Remember that Shakespeare was a poet, so think about what ideas your character represents.

Then, think about them as a person. Think about their relationships and goals. Characters speak when they want to achieve something, so think about why they say the things they say.

Once you can connect to their inner motivation, the lines themselves will live in your head much more easily. 

Discover Shakespeare’s Rhythm 

The use of rhythm is one of the strongest elements of Shakespeare’s plays that you can harness to memorize lines. Shakespeare’s poetic verse is written in iambic pentameter, meaning the lines have ten syllables or beats.

The emphasis is always on the second syllable or beat, with a rhythm that sounds like; “ba-BUM, ba-BUM, ba-BUM, ba-BUM, ba-BUM.” A great way to remember the rhythm of iambic pentameter is to think of a heartbeat. This can be hard to understand by reading it on the page, so watch videos to get a better understanding of how iambic pentameter works:

Practice reading your lines with this rhythm, even exaggerating it as you rehearse. Working with iambic pentameter will give the lines a sense of musicality and will help your brain to absorb them. 

Top tip: Notice when Shakespeare breaks the rules. Sometimes, he doesn’t use ten syllables in a line, he uses less or more. Consider why this might be, and use this knowledge to help the lines stick in your mind. 

Play With Punctuation 

Alongside iambic pentameter, punctuation can give us clues to the rhythm and meaning of Shakespeare’s plays. It can give us an insight into the character’s mindset, as well as help the text to stick in our minds. A great tool for exploring punctuation is “walking the text.” Here is how to practice this exercise: 

  1. Begin to walk around whatever space you’re in.
  2. Have your text in your hand and read the words aloud as you walk. 
  3. For each comma, semi-colon, or colon, do a 45-degree turn and then carry on walking. 
  4. For each period, question mark, or exclamation point, do a 90-degree turn and then carry on walking. 

This exercise will help you to explore the text’s meaning and musicality in more detail. In noticing new things about the text you’re working on, you will gain a deeper understanding of it and you will memorize it more easily. 

Notice Significant Words

Noticing significant words in the text can help us to understand the text and to memorize the lines too. The first thing to do is to go through your script and underline any words that stick out to you. If a word feels like it jumps out at you or is particularly important to the character or scene, then you should underline it. Take a moment to think about the word, its meaning, and what it can tell you about the character or scene.

It is also helpful to make a note of any imagery in Shakespeare’s text. The bard is a master of painting pictures in our minds with his words and as explored in Blooper’s article on Imagination Exercises For Actors, imagination is one of the most useful skills an actor can have.

So, search the text for any words Shakespeare wrote that paint an image in your mind and imagine them in vivid detail. For instance, Macbeth describes his mind as being “full of scorpions.” What picture does this create in your mind? How does that make you feel? Exploring Shakespeare’s language with our imaginations can make it far easier to memorize our lines. 

Add physical movement

Add Physical Movement 

There is significant evidence to show that our memory works more successfully when we’re engaging in physical movement. This means that engaging your body when leaning lines can make the process quicker and easier. One way to do this is to practice your blocking and movements as you go through your lines. Practice the movements you will do in the performance while practicing your lines, and you’ll find that they begin to stick much more easily. 

Another way to use physical movement when learning lines is to combine it with the skill of noticing significant words. First, go through and underline any significant words, as described above. Then, go through all of these words and interpret them physically. Explore different movements you can do to represent these words and what they mean to you. Assign a movement to each significant word you’ve picked out. Now, try reading through the text, and do your movements as you read it through. This will help you to explore the meaning of the words and what they mean to you, as well as memorize them much more quickly and easily. 

William Shakespeare

Now you’re a pro at memorizing Shakespeare lines 

Hopefully, now we’ve explored all of these tools and techniques, you’re feeling a little more confident in memorizing Shakespeare lines. While it can take a while to get used to working on classical texts, the more practice you get, the more confident you will feel. These are all skills that are used by professionals to work on their texts. They will help you to memorize your lines, as well as feel more confident, comfortable, inspired, and ultimately, give a great Shakespearean performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Shakespeare actors memorize their lines? 

To memorize their lines, Shakespeare actors understand their text as well as they possibly can. They explore the language, the punctuation, and the meaning behind the text in order to form a connection it and allow it to be memorized more easily. They will then go over the text until they know it like the back of their hand 

How do you memorize a Shakespeare monologue fast? 

The first thing you need to do is make sure you understand what the monologue means. Then, make a note of all the important words. Finally, make sure to keep going over the monologue. Take it one line at a time and only move on when it is sticking in your memory. Then go over a few lines, adding on more and more until you can remember the whole monologue. Try to move your body as you memorize – even walking up and down can help you memorize more quickly. Remember to take regular breaks so that your mind doesn’t get too overwhelmed and tired. 

How do you memorize Shakespeare scenes? 

To memorize a full scene, you should ensure you understand the scene, pick out the significant words, and move your body as you review your lines to help them stick. One of the advantages of memorizing a scene is that you will be working with one of your fellow actors. So, you can practice the scene with your scene partner, or get a friend or family member to go through it with you to practice remembering your lines by heart.