Shakespearean Poetry

So, I decided to once again use my Shakespeare class to my advantage and discuss poetry in Shakespeare.
Everyone is pretty familiar with Shakespearean sonnets, but sometimes the poetry used in the plays is kind of ignored. Shakespeare used such poetry in his plays often as a plot motivator. It was when the characters would speak their most profound poetry that their lovers would first begin to fall in love. One example of this that sticks out is when Rosalind falls in love with Orlando after he gives his speech before the wrestling match (I don't have my book with me or I would put the actual lines in). Orlando speaks a beautiful verse (although it is written in prose-a fact to be addressed in a later blog) about his apathy in regards to whether he comes out of the match dead or alive. If you've seen the BBC production of As You Like It, it during this speech that the camera has a close up of Rosalind's face and her facial expression is almost as if she's in a trance. It's at this point that Rosalind falls in love with him and becomes devoted to him.
Continuing with As You Like It, another time when blank verse is used is when Orlando writes a number of poems to Rosalind and posts them on trees. These somewhat corny verses are found by Rosalind and motivate her to experiment with Orlando to see how deep his love is for her. Poetry is the fruits of Petrarchan love, the pastoral love that was most popular in Shakespeare's time. Through Orlando's lame poetry Shakespeare mocks Petrarchan love and pushes the public to search for a deeper form of love.
Another way that Shakespeare uses poetry in his plays is to differentiate between the characters. In I Henry IV, Shakespeare has different characters speak with different styles to both manipulate the audience and differentiate between classes. King Henry IV speaks almost always in blank verse to indicate his high standing in the community. Hotspur speaks in an annoying manner. He is always cutting off the other characters and speaks with violent and brash phrases. Hotspur even states himself that he is not proficient at eloquent speaking. Hotspur was given such annoying speech to manipulate the audience to not like him anymore. Prince Hal has the most interesting use of language. Whenever he is with the drunkards on Eastcheap he speaks in prose like those surrounding him of the lower class. When he goes to his father, however, or when he gives his monologue, he speaks in flawless blank verse, further differentiating classes and his middle stance between them.
That's all I have for now! :]