- Shakespeare and English Literature
  - William Shakespeare
    - Considered the best English writer in history
    - Known for plays like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet
    - Also wrote sonnets, less known by English learners
  - Sonnets
    - Often seen as difficult and complex
    - Mystery of sonnets explained through two equations
- Structure of a Sonnet Line
  - Equation: 1 = 5 = 10
    - 1 line = 5 feet = 10 syllables
    - Iambic pentameter
      - Sequence of unstressed + stressed syllable
      - Example: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day"
      - Each foot consists of 2 syllables (unstressed + stressed)
      - Five feet make one line
    - Visualization with toys
      - White toy = unstressed syllable
      - Colored toy = stressed syllable
- Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet
  - Equation: 1 = 3 + 1 = 14
    - 1 sonnet = 3 quatrains + 1 couplet = 14 lines
    - Quatrains
      - Rhyme scheme: a b a b
      - Theme development across three quatrains
    - Couplet
      - Rhyme scheme: g g
      - Ends with a surprising conclusion or shift of ideas
- Summary of Features
  - Shakespearean sonnet
    - Three quatrains
    - One couplet
    - Written in iambic pentameter
- Encouragement to Explore
  - Shakespeare’s achievement in sonnets inspires creativity
  - Suggestion to try writing a sonnet
  - Historical context of Shakespeare’s rise from a small town