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Dramatic Couplet

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A couplet used in verse drama to signal the end of a speech, a scene, or a significant shift in thought or action.

Detailed Definition
Dramatic Couplet is a pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter (heroic couplet) used to convey heightened emotion, conflict, or revelation, typically within dramatic or narrative contexts; its closure and balance make it ideal for epigrammatic statements or turning points.
Example
Example in poetry:
A dramatic couplet is a pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter that often concludes a scene or speech in a play, as seen in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!”
Additional Notes
Dramatic Couplet is a rhymed pair of lines in iambic pentameter (heroic couplet) used for heightened speech or narrative; popular in 17th–18th century drama and satire (e.g., Dryden, Pope), it balances closure with momentum.
Also Known As
Theatrical couplet Stage distich Performance pair
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