Shakespearean monologues are soliloquies delivered by a character in a play, usually expressing their inner thoughts and feelings. These monologues have become a staple of theater and literature, and are known for their beauty, depth, and complexity.
One of the most famous Shakespearean monologues is Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, in which the character muses on the nature of existence and whether it is better to live or to die. This monologue is notable for its philosophical depth and for its exploration of the human condition.
Another famous Shakespearean monologue is Juliet's "Romeo, Romeo" soliloquy from Romeo and Juliet, in which she laments the fact that her family is feuding with Romeo's and that they are forbidden from being together. This monologue is notable for its emotional intensity and for its expression of love and longing.
Shakespeare's monologues are also known for their use of figurative language and poetic devices, such as metaphor and imagery. In Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" monologue, he reflects on the meaningless and fleeting nature of life, using imagery and metaphor to convey his despair.
In addition to their literary and artistic value, Shakespearean monologues are also commonly used in acting and theater training, as they provide actors with an opportunity to explore a character's inner thoughts and emotions and to develop their skills in language, vocal delivery, and physical expression.
Overall, Shakespearean monologues are a testament to the enduring power of language and the human experience, and their enduring popularity is a testament to their timeless appeal.
6 Excellent Shakespeare Monologues for Women
But if your monologue absolutely MUST be one minute and no longer, you may be able to find a favourite and cut just a few lines and it will be close to one minute. Go make you ready. O wretched state, O bosom black as death, O limed soul that struggling to be free Art more engaged. Would you create me new? It is not too tricky in terms of language, and definitely on the shorter side. Reason thus with life: If I do lose thee, I do lose a thing That none but fools would keep. She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that? Learn how and why to choose the best memory work for your homeschool here. Knocking Knock, knock, knock! Pin 13 This is our list of the Best Male Shakespeare monologues.
Virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese; consumes itself to the very paring, and so dies with feeding his own stomach. Yet in this life Lie hid moe thousand deaths; yet death we fear That makes these odds all even. Here I stand your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man. Photo Source: Shutterstock When choosing a 1. Miranda has just seen a ship dashed by a storm and she suspects that her father, who has powerful magical powers, was responsible. And for your sake Am I this patient log-man.
These monologues are field-tested in Wondering why we focus on beautiful recitation pieces in our memory work rather than lists of facts? May I be so converted and see with these eyes? Thus play I in one person many people, And none contented. Edmund: Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. This is great to show off your physicality and an upbeat spirit. See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Unless it be to think that she is by And feed upon the shadow of perfection. Knocking Knock, knock, knock! You can download each monologue for printing, already double-spaced for scansion and transcription. Joy be the consequence! Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me. Hear my soul speak: The very instant that I saw you did My heart fly to your service; there resides To make me slave to it.
His monologues tackle themes of love, fate, and grief, and use complex metaphors to paint a dynamic picture of what it means to grow up. For more on Benedick: I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviours to love, will, after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn by failing in love: and such a man is Claudio. There are tons of amazing ones to choose from. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Check out Angelo: Who will believe thee, Isabel? Your date is better in your pie and your porridge than in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French withered pears: it looks ill, it eats drily. Related 6 Shakespeare Monologues for Men 3. Bid them all fly! Below, readers will find ten of the best and most enjoyable monologues that Shakespeare ever wrote.
10 Shakespearean Monologues from Characters Bewildered by Love : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff
In this monologue she is confessing her love maybe slightly naively to Ferdinand, who has just been shipwrecked on her island. The language in it can be challenging, so it may require a dictionary nearby for the first read-through. Now I want Spirits to enforce, art to enchant; And my ending is despair, Unless I be relieved by prayer, Which pierces so that it assaults Mercy itself, and frees all faults. Be copy now to men of grosser blood And teach them how to war. There; my blessing with thee! I fly not death to fly his deadly doom: Tarry I here, I but attend on death; But fly I hence, I fly away from life. She does her best to convince him though, telling him that mercy is a quality essential to all of humankind and that giving forgiveness is something to be proud of.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Friend hast thou none; For thine own bowels which do call thee sire, The mere effusion of thy proper loins, Do curse the gout, serpigo, and the rheum For ending thee no sooner. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. If her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect the North Star. Now come I to my mother.
10 of the Best Shakespearean Monologues for Men : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff
He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your command; I will run. In fact, it can be an easy, fun, delightful addition to your Memorize Shakespeare in Context Please note that reading a summary of the play is an essential element. Having waste ground enough, Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary And pitch our evils there? I have had a most rare vision. Hamlet has been on a downward spiral into madness for some time now, and his dismissal proves that he is no longer reachable as her lover. This emotion is new to her.
You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? A Jew would have wept to have seen our parting. Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humour? This is non-negotiable, make sure you 2 Look up unfamiliar words. Female, Comedic, Teens-20s Julia, the beloved of Proteus, who has several other suitors, receives a love letter from him which she impetuously tears up. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was: man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.
