Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a revelation of a character’s deepest thoughts and feelings. Unlike a monologue, which generally has at least one other character as the listener, it is performed when the character is alone onstage. While it has a long dramatic tradition, the soliloquy is generally associated with Shakespeare’s plays, and is used for several reasons. Is it Petruchio explaining to the audience his treatment of Kate in Taming of the Shrew? In that case, he can talk directly to the audience. Or perhaps it is Beatrice reflecting on the rumor that Benedict loves her in Much Ado About Nothing. She believes she is all alone, and can confess her true feelings. Maybe it is Othello planning the murder of Desdemona in Act Five of his play. She is sleeping soundly as he circles the bed and then wakes her. Soliloquies have a variety of functions within the storytelling of a play, and once the actor determines that purpose, they can fully analyze and perform the piece.

This guide will take you through the process of textual analysis for a soliloquy, including developing character, incorporating blocking, and revealing the subtext of the piece.

Terminology

• Analysis: Process of examining the pieces of the text in order to better understand it.
• Beat: A unit of action within a monologue, scene, or play.
• Blocking: The movement and gestures used in staging.
• Expectation: The character’s desired outcome that motivates the monologue.
• Given Circumstances: The information provided by the playwright about the characters and situation.
• G.O.T.E.: An acronym for Goal-Obstacle-Tactic-Expectation, developed by Robert Cohen.
• Moment Before: Knowing and using what has happened right before the scene begins to create context and meaning in the scene.
• Monologue: A speech given by a character.
• Notation: The notes made on the text, including analysis, beats, and blocking.
• Objective: The desired goal of the character.
• Obstacle: The person or thing standing in the way of a character achieving their objective.
• “Other”: Related to obstacle, the person or thing a character struggles against.
• Scansion: The process of determining the rhythm of a line, usually a line in verse.
• Soliloquy: A speech given by a character that reveals inner thoughts only shared with the audience.
• Tactic: The methods a character uses to achieve their objective, identified as actable verbs.