Shakespearean soliloquy
"To be" speech
A Shakespearean soliloquy is a speech in which a character, alone on stage, reveals inner thoughts directly to the audience.
Shakespeare used these moments to expose psychological conflict, moral struggle, or hidden intention—Hamlet's To be or not to be, Macbeth's dagger speech, Iago's scheming.
The term now applies broadly to any extended dramatic monologue of self-revelation in that tradition.
- monologueUninterrupted solo address
- dramatic monologuePoem as character's speech
- HamletDanish prince's revenge tragedy
- poor YorickLamented deceased entertainer
- stageRaised performance platform
Globe Theatre · fourth wall · verse · blank verse · contemplation · theater · actor · introspection · dramatic · iambic · pentameter · Macbeth · out damned spot · skull · tragic hero · dagger · spotlight · torment
Shakespearean soliloquydialogue
Spoken exchange between parties
duet · aside · repartee · conversation · dramatic dialogue
Shakespearean soliloquydumb show
Theatrical scene without dialogue
pantomime · crowd scene · swordfight · battle scene · mob scene
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