Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a dramatic or literary form of communication in which a character talks to him or herself and reveals his or her thoughts without identifying a listener. (thefreedictionary.com) Soliloquy are most commonly used in plays, and the actor is often alone on stage. If the actor is not alone on stage, the other actors remain silent. A soliloquy is used in a play to give it a dramatic effect. This allows for an actor to openly tell the audience his thoughts on a situation, without being in a conversation with another actor. Soliloquy were used in theatres in the 16, 17 and 18th centuries and today they are still often used (Britannica.com). Many authors use soliloquy while writing plays. Some authors that use soliloquy are Christopher Marlowe, Pierre Corneille, and Shakespeare (Britannica.com). The most common author is William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare uses soliloquy in all of his plays and is commonly known for using this method. The three most famous soliloquies are found in Shakespeares plays. The plays are Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet (Nosweatshakespeare.com). When Shakespeare puts a soliloquy in his play, it always for the character to say his feelings and to not have anyone else hear them. It adds more effect to Shakespeare's plays. When the effect is added, it allows the play to be more dramatic, allowing the audience to be entertained. An example of a soliloquy is To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?(phrases.org).This soliloquy is from Shakespeare's famous piece Hamlet. This soliloquy is known as the To be or to not to be speech. It was one of the major soliloquies in Hamlet. Another example of a soliloquy is Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?(Nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes) This is a short part of a soliloquy from the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare. This speech was given by one character to add an emotional effect to the play. A final example of a soliloquy is O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. (writinginthetechnologicalage.wordpress.com)This final soliloquy is from Shakespeare's piece, Romeo and Juliet. It was said by Juliet in her thoughts about Romeo.

Works Cited "Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me? Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis." Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/is-this-a-dagger-i-see-before-me/>. "Shakespeare Soliloquies." : Modern Translations. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/soliloquies/>. "Soliloquy (drama)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/553410/soliloquy>. "Soliloquy." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/soliloquy>. "To Be, or Not to Be, That Is the Question." To Be, or Not to Be, That Is the Question. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://phrases.org.uk/meanings/385300.html>. "Writinginthetechnologicalage." Writinginthetechnologicalage. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014. <http://writinginthetechnologicalage.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/soliloquy-example-from-romeoand-juliet/>.

- Hannah Barrows