Inner and Outer Tempo
As people we very often hide what is going on inside us. Revealing ourselves in such an open way, would be too exposing in most situations; one could argue this is a survival mechanism, that we use to protect ourselves.
This is why being aware of inner and outer tempi is important: understanding the moments when they are the same, but also when one covers another or perhaps the most interesting, when our inner tempo bursts through to alter our outer tempo. Those wonderful ‘bubbles’ that build and build inside until they burst through! So many scenes are rooted in this delicious conflict and there are many ways in which the writer gives us clues about this and aso how we reveal these moments as actors.
Shaekspeare plays with this wonderfully. You will notice on some lines the length of the line/iambic pentameter may shorten or elongate. This naturally effects the pace or tempo of the line which in turn effects the ‘feeling’ of what is being said. This may be an emotional response, or a reflection of the given circumstances, or even just a clue as to the status of the character speaking. It is up to us to decipher why the tempo changes moment to moment.