Soliloquy
Pronounced suh-LIL-uh-kwee.
Soliloquy: A speech in which a character, alone on stage, speaks their thoughts aloud.
The soliloquy is theatre's interior monologue: alone on stage, a character can be honest in ways dialogue never allows, and the audience becomes their confessor.
Soliloquy examples
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
— Hamlet, Shakespeare
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day."
— Macbeth, Shakespeare
"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? - Juliet, believing herself alone at the window."
— Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
"Iago's soliloquies let the audience watch him assemble each lie before he tells it."
— Othello, Shakespeare
Spot the Soliloquy
Score: 0/0A speech in which a character, alone on stage, speaks their thoughts aloud.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
Which work is this from?
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Soliloquy: common questions
What is soliloquy in literature?
A speech in which a character, alone on stage, speaks their thoughts aloud. The soliloquy is theatre's interior monologue: alone on stage, a character can be honest in ways dialogue never allows, and the audience becomes their confessor.
What is an example of soliloquy?
A classic example is "To be, or not to be, that is the question." (Hamlet, Shakespeare).
What is the difference between a soliloquy and a monologue?
A monologue is any long speech, usually delivered to other characters. A soliloquy is spoken alone (or as if alone), addressed to no one within the play - it is thought made audible for the audience's benefit.
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