ABSTRACT
A monologue (derived from mono+logue on analogy with dialogue) or soliloquy is a speech made by one person. The dramatic monologue is a literary convention which allows a character to communicate his thoughts directly to an audience. Shakespeare’s plays contain a large number of monologues, delivered mainly by the hero. A dramatic monologue differs from a speech in that a speech has an overt addressee (as well as the audience) whereas a monologue is the equivalent of a character speaking his thoughts aloud.
