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When we think of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the title character's famous "To be or not to be" speech may come to mind as a prominent monologue. But this speech is actually a soliloquy; a speech of internal dialogue in which the character (in this case, Hamlet) expresses his inner thoughts to the audience. A monologue involves one character speaking to another.
Monologues, just like these real-world conversations, have the power to share important personal feelings and experiences; enabling the audience to genuinely connect.
A dramatic monologue is a literary form that came of age in the 1830s, thanks to Alfred Tennyson and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, most of all. Some of the greatest examples of the dramatic monologue include a poem spoken by a character (rather than the poet themselves) in a dramatic situation, whereby that character reveals their personality through their speech. There are some brilliant examples of dramatic monologues in English and American literature. Some examples can be found in these great works:
The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
This poem is a dramatic monologue in ballad form. The runaway slave strongly expresses her distress at being reminded of her abuse by caring for a child produced by violence.
Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson
This entire poem is spoken by a single character and is a powerful monologue. As an adventurer, Ulysses focuses on whether he could ever tolerate a simple, traditional home life.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
This play has many character-defining monologues that it's difficult to select one. But Elizabeth Proctor's speech to her husband, John, about Abigail Williams reveals her true concerns about the girl's claim that Elizabeth is a witch.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Atticus Finch spends much of his time legally defending Tom Robinson in a high-profile court case. His closing argument goes on for several pages.
This week we will take a look at monologues and how to effectively write one. |
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Writing a monologue doesn’t just require practice but it needs a systematic approach. You can’t just write anything and name it as a monologue and expect your audience to make sense of it. This week we will take an overview of the seven steps needed to write a monologue.
1. Define the Purpose of the Monologue
You don’t have to add a monologue to your story just for the sake of it rather you must have a clear purpose and objective that you wish to achieve with the help of a monologue. Ask yourself: Why, how, and what of the monologue to clearly define its purpose. You can use monologue to reveal a secret. Monologues can express a character’s true emotions or thoughts that are, otherwise, hard to express via dialogues.
You can use monologue for a wide range of purposes such as:
 Emotional release by a character
Revealing a secret
Answering questions related to the storyline or character
Sharing feelings and thoughts of a character
Communicating with the readers
Ideally, you need to make sure you are using monologue to either let a weak character express his/her views or having one of the main characters speak aloud.
2. Character Profile
Character development is a must. When you decide to write a monologue and you have set its purpose, you know the character already. You now need to set up the complete character profile to ensure the speech is delivered appropriately.
Remember, monologue is different. It has to be powerful, attention-grabbing, and interesting so that audience doesn’t lose interest. You don’t just have to focus on the speech and its words rather the character delivering it must be worked upon too.
Building a character profile that matches the monologue is essential. Here is a list of the major things to consider for profiling:
Speaking style
Character’s voice
Emotions and feelings
Character development and profiling specifically for an effective monologue are essential to keep it natural and meaningful.
3. Identify the Audience
The 'audience' refers to the people your character will be addressing. The audience is the target of your monologue.
For example, if the character is expressing his feelings for another character, decide if the other character must be present or the monologue will be delivered in his/her absence.
These petty details are always in your mind as a writer, but it is essential to write them down so that you can avoid assumptions while writing a monologue. Just because you know the audience of the monologue doesn’t mean readers will know it too.
4. Write a Powerful Beginning
Now is the time to start writing the monologue. A monologue has three distinct parts: Beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of the monologue must be powerful, and intriguing, and it must be attention-grabbing.
The first line sets the stage for a secret and the second line further tells the readers what they must expect from the monologue.
The beginning sets the tone and mood of the monologue so it must be carefully written. The best approach is to write an outline for the entire monologue and then craft a beginning according to the outline.
5. The Middle, Ending, and Editing
The middle is the crux of the monologue where you have to explain everything by building your case.
The end of the monologue must be clear, sound, and logical. It needs to give something new to the readers in the shape of a climax or a plot twist.
Finally, you are all set to refine, proofread, and edit your monologue. Refining your monologue is important because it is a long speech that might make readers bored. Reading it aloud to yourself can help tremendously!
In Conclusion
You are now ready to start writing your own monologue. You know the steps, what to expect, how to make it appealing, and what techniques to use. It is time to get into it practically.
A monologue isn’t much different from any other type of writing. Once you'll have the first monologue ready, you'll see how easy the process is. C'mon, give it a go!!! |
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Drama: April 20, 2022 Issue [#11305]
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