example of dramatic monologue essay

The Best Examples of the Dramatic Monologue

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The dramatic monologue is a literary form that really came of age in the 1830s, thanks to Tennyson and Browning most of all. Below, we’ve selected some of the greatest examples of the dramatic monologue: 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, so we hope you enjoy this pick of some of the best.

1. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, ‘ The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point ’.

Our wounds are different. Your white men Are, after all, not gods indeed, Nor able to make Christs again Do good with bleeding. We who bleed . . .

As well as writing some of the most famous love poetry of the Victorian era, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-61) also explored and tackled social issues in her poetry.

In this poem, the first example of a dramatic monologue on this list, she writes in the character of a black female slave in the United States, on the run having endured a series of horrors: her lover has been murdered and she has been raped, and the baby that resulted was deemed ‘too white’ because of its mixed ethnicity.

A tragic poem (we won’t give away the ending here though the stanzas below provide a clue), the poem is still a powerful indictment of the treatment of black slaves in nineteenth-century America. The poem was written to raise funds for the abolitionist cause.

2. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, ‘ Ulysses ’.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vext the dim sea: I am become a name …

Writers of dramatic monologues have often turned to mythical characters for their subjects and speakers, and this early Tennyson poem is such an example.

A poem about growing old, but written when Tennyson was a young man in his early twenties, ‘Ulysses’ has been read as a response to the death of Tennyson’s friend Arthur Henry Hallam, who had died suddenly in 1833, in his early twenties. The poem takes the warrior Ulysses (the Roman name for Odysseus) as its focus, and reveals an ageing king who, having returned from the Trojan war, yearns to don his armour again and ride off in search of battle, glory, and adventure (leaving his poor wife Penelope behind, we might add!).

Tennyson uses the dramatic monologue to stirring effect, but the dramatic situation also invites us to question Ulysses’ actions, and especially the impact they will have on his wife and son whom he leaves behind (again). Can Ulysses really sail off again in search of glory, or is he deluding himself?

3. Robert Browning, ‘ Porphyria’s Lover ’.

That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Perfectly pure and good: I found A thing to do, and all her hair In one long yellow string I wound Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain …

Nobody took the dramatic monologue to such a dark place in the nineteenth century as Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s husband, Robert Browning (1812-89). ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ is spoken by a murderer who strangles his beautiful blonde upper-class lover with her own hair.

It was one of Browning’s first great poems, published in 1836 (as ‘Porphyria’) when the poet was still in his mid-twenties. It was also one of his earliest experiments in the dramatic monologue. Despite the poem’s reputation as one of Browning’s finest dramatic monologues, it – like much of Browning’s early work – was largely ignored during his lifetime.

4. T. S. Eliot, ‘ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ’.

Written in around 1910 while Eliot was still in his early twenties, this poem is one of the most famous modernist examples of the dramatic monologue. Eliot is following French Symbolists like Jules Laforgue – who was fond of adopting personae or characters as the speakers of his poems – rather than Victorians like Tennyson and Browning, while the dramatic quality of Prufrock’s speech is drawn from the Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists Eliot so revered.

Prufrock, a middle-aged balding man who feels uncomfortable attending social gatherings while he ponders some ‘overwhelming question’, makes us laugh but also invites our pity and communal sympathy for his feeling of ‘not fitting in’.

5. H. D., ‘ Eurydice ’.

Many of the greatest examples of dramatic monologues in the twentieth century were written by women. Although this is a dramatic monologue spoken by the wife of Orpheus – the musician from Greek mythology – like many of the poems of Hilda Doolittle or H. D. (1886-1961), the poem clearly had its origins in Doolittle’s own life.

Written during the First World War when H. D. lost her brother and her marriage to Richard Aldington began to fail (their first child was also stillborn in 1915), ‘Eurydice’ is about the myth involving a woman sent to the Underworld.

Orpheus travels to Hades to ask that Eurydice be returned to the land of the living, and Hades grants his wish, on condition that Orpheus doesn’t look back at his wife as they leave the Underworld. Orpheus can’t wait, and looks back at Eurydice before she’s clear of the Underworld, and as a result she is destined to remain in Hades forever.

H. D. saw the feminist potential for such a story, and here gives Eurydice a voice, as she accuses her husband of thwarting her chances at life. ‘Dramatic’ in more ways than one!

6. Elizabeth Bishop, ‘ Crusoe in England ’.

Writers of dramatic monologues haven’t just drawn on myth; sometimes they’ve taken their inspiration from existing literary characters. This dramatic monologue from the twentieth-century American poet Elizabeth Bishop imagines Robinson Crusoe looking back on his life, after he’s been rescued from his island and has returned to England as an older man.

What does Defoe’s character have left, after his life of adventure and toil? The poem is an interesting example of a female poet taking on a male character’s persona and re-examining it: the Crusoe we encounter is altogether more ‘modern’ and introspective than the depiction in Defoe’s novel over two centuries before.

7. Judith Wright, ‘ Eve to Her Daughters ’.

This dramatic monologue sees the Biblical Eve transported to a post-nuclear landscape where man has succeeded in destroying the Edenic paradise of the world as we know it. Wright manages to weave in anti-war sentiments, feminist ideas, and some clever Biblical jokes, as Eve addresses her daughters and maintains, ‘It was not I who began it.’

8. Carol Ann Duffy, ‘ Medusa ’.

What would it be like to have the Gorgon Medusa’s powers, from Greek mythology – to be able to turn things to stone when they merely glance at you? Here we get a ginger cat transformed into a brick, a pig turned into a boulder, and much else – before Perseus, addressed by Medusa in the final stanzas, arrives with his cunning mirror-shield to deliver Medusa’s comeuppance.

This poem is taken from Duffy’s collection The World’s Wife .

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5 thoughts on “The Best Examples of the Dramatic Monologue”

So pleased to see EBB getting her dues. Best wishes to you all.

I’m surprised Browning’s “My Last Duchess” isn’t on the list.

I am grateful for this instalment on Dramatic Monologues. Now I must find The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point by Elizabeth Browning.

My personal favourite is Fra Lippo Lippi.

Wishing Happiness to the folks at Interesting Literature.

Thank you very much! And all the best to you too :)

As I have mentioned before when I was at secondary school Browning was the first poet who ‘clicked’ with me. I found his dramatic monologues ‘modern’ in the sense that you could imagine the characters speaking. Looking back, it seems bizarre that he would appeal to a 15 yr old schoolboy in the early 60s!

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dramatic monologue

What is a dramatic monologue definition, usage, and literary examples, dramatic monologue definition.

Dramatic monologue  (druh-MAT-ik MON-uh-log) is a literary form where the writer takes on the voice of a character and speaks through them. Although dramatic monologues also occur in  theater  and  prose , the term most frequently refers to a  poetic  form where the poet creates a character who speaks without interruption. Within the poem’s framework, the speaker reveals surprising information about their character or situation to an implied or explicit audience, often not intended to be the reader.

A dramatic monologue is also called a persona  poem , and the character speaking in the poem is referred to as a “persona.” The narrator of a persona poem or dramatic monologue is most frequently a person, but dramatic monologues can also be told by animals, objects, places, or abstract concepts (such as love or destiny).

Poets who write dramatic monologues or persona poems are occasionally referred to as monologists.

History of the Dramatic Monologue

While elements of the dramatic monologues can be seen in the theater of ancient Greece, as well as the work of  Romantic  poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the form as it is understood today was invented in the  Victorian era . Robert Browning, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Christina Rossetti were early pioneers. In their dramatic monologues, a fictional character speaks without interruption to an audience, revealing important information about their personality, situation, actions, or emotional state.

The form remained popular in the 20th century. In the  Modernist era , T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound wrote persona poems, including Eliot’s famous “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and Pound’s  Personae , a collection of short poems written in the voice of different characters or “masks.” In the 1950s and 1960s, despite the prevailing trend of  confessionalism  in poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks, John Berryman, and Sylvia Plath all made notable contributions by writing dramatic monologues that grappled with subjects like the African American urban experience, mental illness, addiction, and suicidal ideation.

While, for the most part, the dramatic monologue was written in the voice of a fictional character, the form sometimes makes use of a character who is already well-known so the poet can explore larger themes. Since the latter half of the 20th century, the form has taken on a political dimension as poets began writing dramatic monologues in the voices of misunderstood historical figures (as in Robert Hayden’s “A Letter from Phillis Wheatley, London, 1773”) or reclaimed racial stock figures (Cornelius Eady’s  Brutal Imagination ).

Types of Dramatic Monologues

Dramatic monologues fall into three main categories.

• Romantic monologues are poems where a character speaks about a romantic relationship, either past, current, or desired.  “Dilemma”  by Anthony Hecht is an example of a romantic monologue.
• Conversational monologues are poems where the dramatic monologue is presented by the speaker as if it is part of a conversation. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s  “The Eolian Harp”  is one example.
• Philosophical monologues are poems where the character explicates their personal philosophy or theories about the world.  “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Alley”  by William Wordsworth is one example of a philosophical monologue.

Why Writers Use Dramatic Monologues

Poets use dramatic monologues because it allows them to write about situations and subject matter that is not taken from their own lives. Readers often assume other writers, like novelists or playwrights, create characters wildly different than the writers themselves. But with poetry, readers tend to believe poems are about the writer’s personal experience. Writing dramatic monologues give poets the same artistic freedom and permission to create outside  narratives , characters, and situations that writers in other genres take for granted.

The form is also a powerful way to create narrative tension as the speaker reveals crucial information to the reader in a way that allows the reader to feel as if they are there.

Dramatic Monologues in Other Genres

While the term  dramatic monologue  primarily refers to  poetry , dramatic monologues also occur in fiction and  theater . They contain the same elements of the dramatic monologue poem:

• A character speaks in an uninterrupted flow
• The audience may be either present or absent
• The speaker reveals something about his or her character or situation through the monologue

Unlike a dramatic monologue poem, the form in theater and fiction is not self-contained. These dramatic monologues occur in the context of a longer narrative where multiple characters interact and speak. While these dramatic monologues can be viewed as excerpts of larger works, they cannot truly stand alone.

Notable Dramatic Monologue Poets

Though they may not have exclusively written dramatic monologues, the following poets have made notable contributions to the form:

• John Berryman,  “Dream Song 14”
• Frank Bidart,  “Ellen West”
• Gwendolyn Brooks,  “A Sunset of the City”
• Robert Browning,  “Porphyria’s Lover”
• Cornelius Eady,  “The Cab Driver Who Ripped Me Off”
• T. S. Eliot,  “Portrait of a Lady”
• Louise Erdrich, “The Butcher’s Wife”
• Louise Gluck,  “Daisies”
• Robert Hayden,  “Night, Death, Mississippi”
• Dante Gabriel Rossetti,  “A Last Confession”
• Christina Rossetti,  “The Convent Threshold”
• Sylvia Plath,  “The Applicant”
• Ezra Pound,  “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter”
• Alfred Lord Tennyson,  “Ulysses”

Examples of Dramatic Monologue in Literature

1. Robert Browning,  “My Last Duchess”

Browning’s famous  poem  “My Last Duchess” was one of the first dramatic monologues of the Victorian era. The poem’s speaker is presumed to be Alfonso II d’Este, the fifth Duke of Ferrara. Set during the  Italian Renaissance , the Duke is giving a tour of his art collection to an emissary from his prospective bride’s family. As part of this tour, the Duke shows a painting of his late wife and retells the story of their marriage.

In this excerpt, the reader becomes aware that the Duke was enraged by his late wife’s friendliness and wanted to make sure she smiled only for him:

[…] Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,

Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without

Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands

As if alive.”

At this moment, readers realize that the Duke’s commands led to his wife’s death. Either he directed someone to kill her, or by commanding her to stop smiling, he in some way contributed to her eventual death. Browning himself suggested that the Duke simply sent his first wife away.

2. T. S. Eliot, “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ”

Eliot began writing his famous dramatic monologue in his early 20s. The titular character narrates the poem; Prufrock is an older man confronting his increasing age, evaluating his unrequited romantic and carnal opportunities, and a life he believes was wasted. Prufrock admits:

No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

am an attendant lord, one that will do

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

Advise the prince; no doubt an easy tool,

Deferential, glad to be of use

In this moment, Prufrock acknowledges he is not the hero of his life. Instead, he is a minor figure on the world stage—useful to other, more important people but not the star of the show.

3. Gwendolyn Brooks, “ We Real Cool ”

In her well-known poem, Brooks takes on the collective voice of seven young pool players at The Golden Shovel pool parlor. The short poem reads as follows:

THE POOL PLAYERS.

SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

In this brief dramatic monologue, the characters speak in one voice, detailing the fast and dangerous lives they inhabit.

4. Louise Gluck,  “The Wild Iris”

Gluck’s Pulitzer-Prize winning book  The Wild Iris  is written in a series of dramatic monologues from the point of view of different plants, trees, parts of the landscape, and the wind. The titular poem, “The Wild Iris,” presents an iris speaking to humanity. The flower describes its experience as a perennial:

It is terrible to survive

as consciousness

buried in the dark earth.

In this excerpt, the plant is explaining what it feels like to be a bulb buried in the ground every winter, waiting to grow and blossom again each spring.

5. Sylvia Plath,  “Lady Lazarus”

In this poem, Plath presents a speaker describing her numerous attempts at suicide:

Is an art, like everything else.

I do it exceptionally well.

It’s easy enough to do it in a cell.

It’s easy enough to do it and stay put.

It’s the theatrical

Comeback in broad day

To the same place, the same face, the same brute

Amused shout:

‘A miracle!’

That knocks me out.

In this excerpt, Plath’s speaker describes how good she has been at “dying” during her multiple suicide attempts. She points out that her real talent is her ability to return to life, to create a theatrical miraculous resurrection.

Further Resources on Dramatic Monologues

The Academy of American Poets has an excellent article detailing the history of  persona poems  / dramatic monologues.

Billy Mills wrote an excellent article about the Victorian roots of the dramatic monologue for  The Guardian .

Poet Camille Rankine penned a useful essay for  The Poetry Foundation  about the dangers of appropriating the identities of marginalized people in dramatic monologues.

SuperSummary's library of resources and content , such as " A Beginner's Guide to Literary Analysis " and " How to Write a Summary ."

Related Terms

• Persona poem

• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use a Monologue

I. What is a Monologue?

A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story. In drama, it is the vocalization of a character’s thoughts; in literature, the verbalization. It is traditionally a device used in theater—a speech to be given on stage—but nowadays, its use extends to film and television.

II. Example of a Monologue

A monologue speaks at people, not with people. Many plays and shows involving performers begin with a single character giving a monologue to the audience before the plot or action begins. For example, envision a ringleader at a circus…

Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls!

Tonight, your faces will glow with wonder

As you witness some of the greatest acts ever seen in the ring!

Beauties and beasts, giants and men, dancers and daredevils

Will perform before your very eyes

Some of the most bold and wondrous stunts

You’ve yet beheld!

Watch, now,

As they face fire and water,

Depths and heights,

Danger and fear…

The ringleader’s speech is directed to the audience. His monologue helps him build anticipation and excitement in his viewers while he foreshadows some of the thrills the performance will contain.

A monologue doesn’t have to be at the start or end of a play, show, or movie—on the contrary, they occur all of the time. Imagine a TV series about a group of young friends, and on this episode, one friend has been being a bully. The group is telling jokes about some of the things the bully has done to other kids at school, when one girl interrupts everyone…

You know, I don’t think what you are doing is funny. In fact, I think it is sad. You think you’re cool because you grew faster than some people, and now you can beat them up? What is cool about hurting people? We are all here pretending that you’re a leader, when really, I know that you’re nothing but a mean bully! All this time I’ve been scared to say that, but just now, I realized that I’m not afraid of bullies—so, I won’t be afraid of you!

When a conversation stops and shifts focus to a single character’s speech, it is usually a sign of a monologue. In this situation, a group conversation between friends turns into one girl’s response; a monologue addressing bullying and the bully himself.

III. Types of Monologues

A. soliloquy.

A speech that a character gives to himself—as if no one else is listening — which voices his inner thoughts aloud. Basically, a soliloquy captures a character talking to himself at length out loud . Of course, the audience (and sometimes other characters) can hear the speech, but the person talking to himself is unaware of others listening. For example, in comedy, oftentimes a character is pictured giving themselves a lengthy, uplifting speech in the mirror…while a friend is secretly watching them and laughing. The soliloquy is one of the most fundamental dramatic devices used by Shakespeare in his dramas .  

B. Dramatic Monologue

A speech that is given directly to the audience or another character. It can be formal or informal, funny or serious; but it is almost always significant in both length and purpose. For example, a scene that captures a president’s speech to a crowd exhibits a dramatic monologue that is both lengthy and important to the story’s plotline. In fact, in TV, theater ,and film, all speeches given by a single character—to an audience, the audience, or even just one character—are dramatic monologues .

C. Internal Monologue

The expression of a character’s thoughts so that the audience can witness (or read, in literature) what is going on inside that character’s mind. It is sometimes (depending on the style in) referred to as “stream-of-consciousness.” In a piece of writing, internal monologues can often be easily identified by italicized blocks of text that express a character’s inner thoughts. On TV and in films, internal monologues are usually spoken in the character’s voice, but without seeing him actually speak; thus giving the feeling of being able to hear his thoughts .

IV. Importance of Monologues

Monologues give the audience and other characters access to what a particular character is thinking, either through a speech or the vocalization of their thoughts. While the purpose of a speech is obvious, the latter is particularly useful for characterization : it aids the audience in developing an idea about what the character is really thinking, which in turn helps (or can later help) explain their previous (or future) actions and behavior.

V. Examples of Monologue in Literature

As a technique principally used on the stage (or screen), the best examples of monologues in literature are found in dramatic literature, most notably in Shakespeare’s dramas. Below is selection of arguably the most famous monologue in literature— soliloquy , specifically—from Act III Scene I of the tragedy Hamlet . This soliloquy begins with the well-known words “To be, or not to be- that is the question:”

HAMLET To be, or not to be- that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep- No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die- to sleep. To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life.

This scene reveals to the audience that Hamlet is contemplating suicide. His words express an internal thought process that we would normally not be able to witness. The only reason that Shakespeare has Hamlet speak these words out loud is so that the audience—not anyone else in the play—can hear them. He uses a soliloquy to share Hamlet’s unstable state of mind and disquieting thoughts.

In Mark Twain’s short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” the narrator is sent to find a man named Simon Wheeler, who will tell him a story. After the narrator introduces the premise, he explains that he let Wheeler “go on in his own way, and never interrupted him once.” He follows with Wheeler’s story, told in Wheeler’s voice, which he achieves through the shift in the style of speech. Below is a small piece of the story:

There was a feller here once by the name of  Jim  Smiley, in the winter of ’49—or may be it was the spring of ’50—I don’t recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume wasn’t finished when he first came to the camp; but any way he was the curiosest man about always betting on any thing that turned up you ever see, if he could get anybody to bet on the other side; and if he couldn’t, he’d change sides. Any way that suited the other man would suit him—any way just so’s he got a bet,  he  was satisfied. But still he was lucky, uncommon lucky; he most always come out winner.

Mark Twain was a literary genius when it came to storytelling—he could make the page seem like a stage with the way he used spelling and grammar to bring a character’s accent and personality to life. Wheeler’s story is a dramatic monologue , which Twain used to achieve the feeling of a real storytelling exchange between two people. His employment of this dramatic technique in this short story makes the readers feel like they are hearing Wheeler’s story firsthand.

VI. Examples of Monologue in Pop Culture

Oftentimes, a conversation occurs between characters and then shifts to one character giving a significant speech. This is a popular way of inserting a monologue into a scene. In this scene from Season 5 Episode 10 of the TV horror The Walking Dead , the group is talking around the campfire:

Every day he woke up and told himself, ‘Rest in peace; now get up and go to war,’” says Rick. “After a few years of pretending he was dead, he made it out alive. That’s the trick of it, I think. We do what we need to do, and then we get to live. No matter what we find in D.C., I know we’ll be okay. This is how we survive: We tell ourselves that we are the walking dead. -Rick Grimes

Here, Rick’s monologue begins when the dialogue ceases to be a group discussion. Now he alone is speaking to the group—he is giving a dramatic monologue .

In one of the most popular Christmas movies to date, A Christmas Story , the protagonist Ralphie is also the narrator. However, the narration is internal: Ralphie isn’t speaking directly to us, but he is openly letting us in on his thoughts.

As you’ve now heard in this clip, Ralphie’s voice is that of an adult man, and that’s why the narration style in this film is unique—adult Ralphie is simultaneously reflecting on the past and reenacting present-Ralphie’s thoughts. The mental debate he has about who taught him the curse word and what to tell his mother is an internal monologue : we can hear his thoughts; thus the situation is funnier and more thought provoking.

VIII. Related Terms

An aside is when a character briefly pauses to speak directly to the audience, but no other characters are aware of it. It is very similar to a monologue; however, the primary difference between the two is that an aside is very short ; it can be just one word, or a couple of sentences, but it is always brief—monologues are substantial in length. Furthermore, an aside is always said directly to the audience, usually accomplished (in film and television) by looking directly into the camera. As an example, asides are a key part of the style of the Netflix series House of Cards ; the main character Francis Underwood often looks directly into the camera and openly addresses the audience as if they are present, while the other characters do not know that the audience exists.

While a monologue is a given by one character (“mono”=single), a dialogue is a conversation that occurs between two or more characters. Monologues and dialogues are similar in that they both deliver language to the audience. For instance, in a movie, a race winner’s speech is a monologue, however, a speech collectively given by several members of a team is dialogue. Both techniques can address the audience, but the difference lies in how many people are speaking.

In conclusion, monologues (and dialogues) are arguably the most fundamental parts of onstage drama and dramatic literature. Without them, essentially only silent film and theater could exist, as monologues provide the only way for the audience to witness a character’s thoughts.

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How to Write Dramatic Monologue

Last Updated: October 4, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 394,220 times.

Whether you’re writing a novel, a screenplay, or a stage play, dramatic monologues are important tools for furthering character development and shedding light on the major themes in your story. A dramatic monologue is typically a long excerpt in a larger piece of writing that reveals the character’s thoughts and feelings, but should not slow down the pace of the larger piece, only further it. [1] X Research source

Understanding the Role and Structure of a Dramatic Monologue

• A dramatic monologue usually occurs when a character is facing an extreme crisis, a dramatic moment in the plot, or a “do-or-die” situation where simple actions can no longer suitably convey the immense feeling or desire the character is dealing with.
• An effective dramatic monologue should express the goal, agenda, or backstory of the speaker. It can also try to enlist the support of other characters or the audience, or attempt to change the hearts and minds of the audience or the listener.
• A dramatic monologue can be used in theater, poetry and film.

• A monologue differs from a soliloquy [4] X Research source in that a soliloquy is literally a character talking to him/herself. A dramatic monologue has an implied audience, as the character will usually be speaking to another character in the monologue.

The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown. Thy uncle, Ay, that incestuous, that adulterous beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts-- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce! -- won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen.

• Shakespeare uses a dramatic monologue to provide Hamlet's motivation to kill Claudius and to give Hamlet’s father an emotional presence in the play through a direct address to Hamlet and by extension, to the audience.

• The monologue is dramatic in that is is meant to be read to an audience. In poetry, a dramatic monologue allows the poet to express a point of view through a certain character.

Christ, it was better than hunting bear which don't know why you want him dead.

• Using the device of the dramatic monologue in the poem, Hayden is able to create powerful emotion through taking on the disturbing and violent voice of a character.

• Robert Browning's poem “My Last Duchess”. [9] X Research source
• Madame Ranevsky’s monologue in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard . [10] X Research source
• The Indianapolis monologue in Spielberg’s Jaws . [11] X Research source
• Jules’ shepherd monologue in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction . [12] X Research source

• To whom is the speaker addressing in the monologue?
• What does the speaker want from the addressee or receiver of the monologue?
• Why is the speaker performing the monologue at this point in the story?
• How does this monologue affect the overall plot and/or development of the speaker, as well as the other characters in the scene or in the story?
• What kind of language or description is the speaker using? What gives the speaker a unique or distinct voice?

Jules: Well there's this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

• The speaker is the character Jules Winnfield, a hit man played by Samuel L. Jackson.
• In previous scenes in the film, we are shown Jules and his partner, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) carrying out a hit on a group of college kids who stole money from their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). During the hit, one of the kids shoots at Jules and Vincent, but, by some miracle, none of the bullets end up killing either men. Jules takes it as a sign from a higher power and during this dramatic monologue, explains that he is reconsidering his stance on killing others, or being “the tyranny of evil.”
• The dramatic monologue occurs at a key character moment for Jules, and the receiver of the monologue, a robber named “Honey Bunny”, becomes a stand in for all of the other people Jules has killed in the past. The monologue ends with Jules putting down his gun and allowing the robbers to leave unharmed, a major moment of character development.
• In terms of language use, Jules quotes a passage from the Bible, Ezekiel 25:17, which is a throwback to the earlier scene where he kills the college kids. Using Biblical language and then analyzing the more formal, poetic language of the Bible with curse words and casual slang like “my righteous ass” and “tryin’” instead of “trying”, Jules’ character expresses himself with a distinct tone and style in the monologue that is consistent with his speech and voice in previous scenes in the film.

Preparing to Write Your Own Dramatic Monologue

• For example, the ghost monologue in Hamlet is serving the overall story in two ways: it relays key information to the play’s protagonist (Hamlet), thereby setting him up to fulfill a revenge plot to get back at his murderous uncle [15] X Research source and also adds to the feeling of unnatural occurrences or not quite reality in the play. [16] X Research source So, though the ghost is not a major character, having the ghost as the speaker of the monologue still serves the overall story and furthers the action of the main character in the play.
• Comparatively, Jules’ monologue in “Pulp Fiction” serves to further character development in the story by allowing one of the main characters to express their emotions and explain the way his understanding of his work and of himself have evolved. The monologue illustrates the character’s progression from the beginning of the story to the end of the story and lets the viewer know a change or shift has occurred for that character.

• If it is a monologue that will show character development, you may want to place it towards the mid point or climax of the story or towards the end of the story.
• If it is a monologue that is going to spoken by a minor character to relay information to a main character or add to the theme or mood of the story, you may want to place it earlier in the action of the story.
• For example, the ghost monologue in Hamlet occurs early in the play, Act I, Scene 5. By the time the ghost appears, Shakespeare has already established Hamlet as a the main character as well as his unease or melancholy nature, and the “foul” or troubled state of the kingdom of Denmark. The monologue then moves the story forward as it causes Hamlet to take action, thereby furthering the overall plot.
• Comparably, Jules’ monologue takes place in the last scene of the film, and functions to show that Jules has changed or shifted. The previous scenes all served to illustrate Jules’ journey as a main character and prepares the audience for his moment of realization. The monologue resolves the conflict he struggled with throughout the rest of the film, so it is placed at the end of the film as a moment of resolution.

Writing the Monologue

• Use your character's voice. Keep in mind the language, description, and tone of that character. Focus on sensory details like taste, touch, sound, etc. to engage the audience’s empathy or emotion for the character by engaging their senses. [18] X Research source
• Use the present tense. This is happening now and should have a sense of urgency.

• You could begin the scene with a short introduction to the speaker, such as in the ghost monologue: “I am thy father’s spirit.”
• You could then have the speaker and the other character(s) have a conversation or dialogue to build up the monologue, such as in the diner scene with Jules’ monologue, where Jules asks if the robber (Tim Roth) reads the Bible before launching into the monologue with a Biblical passage.

• In the ghost monologue, the ghost (speaker) starts a dialogue with Hamlet and over the course of the dialogue, the ghost says lines like "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder". [19] X Research source Gradually, the ghost's motive for speaking to Hamlet becomes clearer.
• In Jules’ monologue, he recites a passage from the Bible that will frame his larger point about the “tyranny of evil”. The passage also has a double meaning as it was used by Jules in an earlier scene right before he killed the college kids. This is a callback to the previous scene but it places the same passage within a different moment in the character’s journey. The context for the passage has changed for Jules and as a result, it has also changed for the audience.

• In the ghost monologue, the climax occurs once the ghost has detailed how he was poisoned by his own brother, Hamlet’s uncle, and his crown and queen was stolen from him. This is a game changer for Hamlet (and by extension, the audience), as it then moves Hamlet to avenge his father’s death and also allows the audience to have sympathy for the wrongful death of Hamlet's father.
• In Jules’ monologue, the climax occurs when Jules notes that the listener (the robber) is “weak” and he is the “tyranny of evil” but, despite this evil, he is “tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd”. This climax indicates the robbers will likely live instead of die, and also illustrate the reason why Jules decides to give up his life as a hitman and be a “shepherd” rather than be an active part of the “tyranny of evil.”

• The ghost monologue ends with a call to action for Hamlet to avenge his murder. In the rest of the scene, Hamlet acknowledges this new information about his murderous uncle and responds to the ghost’s call to vengeance by vowing to get even.
• At the end of Jules’ monologue, he punctuates his desire to be a “shepherd” rather than part of the “tyranny of evil” by cocking his gun and placing it on the table, thereby allowing the robbers to leave the scene unharmed.

Editing the Monologue

• Ensure the monologue flows well within the larger story. There should be enough build up or dramatic tension in the moments before the monologue occurs to justify the need for a dramatic monologue. [20] X Research source
• The audience should be prepared, rather than surprised or confused, by the monologue.

• Check the timing of the monologue. Does it take too long to get started? Should it end sooner? What can be cut from the draft? Look for places where the monologue sounds redundant or the same point is stated in different ways.

• Ask your listeners if they understood the overall message or purpose of the monologue.
• If you are writing a dramatic monologue for a play or film, it may be useful to have two people act out the scene with the monologue.
• Have someone read the monologue back to you. Listening to someone else interpret your words is a great way to see if your message is clear, the character voice is believable, and there is enough detail in the monologue.

Sample Monologue

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• ↑ http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/dramatic-monologue-definition-examples-quiz.html
• ↑ http://www.wheresthedrama.com/monologues.htm
• ↑ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/553410/soliloquy
• ↑ http://www.monologuearchive.com/s/shakespeare_004.html
• ↑ http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-technique-dramatic-monologue
• ↑ http://www.blueridgejournal.com/poems/rh-night.htm
• ↑ http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/my-last-duchess
• ↑ http://www.monologuearchive.com/c/chekhov_014.html
• ↑ http://www.monologuegenie.com/monologue-writing-101.html
• ↑ http://www.whysanity.net/monos/jules.html
• ↑ http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet_1_5.html
• ↑ http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/ghost.html
• ↑ https://overland.org.au/2012/07/dont-kill-your-darlings/

About This Article

A dramatic monologue is a great way to draw your audience in and shed some light on your character. To write a good monologue, you’ll want to start with a compelling opening statement to grab the audience’s attention, like “I am just like my father.” Then, have your character work through whatever issue they’re having out loud. Keep in mind that a monologue, while spoken by 1 character, is usually addressed to another character, so you should plan to have a 2nd character on stage during the scene. A good monologue usually ends with a call to action that keeps the play moving. For example, you might have your character resolve to avenge his father’s death at the end of his speech. To learn how to edit your monologue, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Dramatic Monologue; Definition, Characteristics & Examples

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A dramatic monologue is a long speech by a single person. It differs from soliloquy which means the expression of ideas by a character in a play. On the other hand, dramatic monologue is a kind of lyric which was used and improved by Robert Browning.

These poems are dramatic in the sense that they have a theatrical quality i.e. the poem is meant to be read to an audience. To say that the poem is a monologue means that these are the words of one speaker with no dialogue coming from any other character.

The reason poets choose to write poems like this is to express a point of view through the words of a character. However, often the opinion stated by that characters are not the same as the views of the poet. Most of the time, the speaker tries to convince someone of something & may or may not be telling the whole truth.

Characteristics

• A speaker is a single person who is not a poet.
• The views of the speaker may contradict with those of the poet.
• The speech of this character makes up the whole of the verse, in a specific situation at a crucial moment.
• This character addresses & interacts with one or more people, but we know of the others’ presence & what they say or do only from clues in the poetic dialogues of the speaker.
• The primary focus of the poet is to tell the readers and audience a story having a moral in a way that boosts the curiosity towards it, the speaker’s temperament & character.
• The subject of the monologue is self-revelation. These are some of the features of dramatic monologue.
• The rhyme scheme is not important in Dramatic Monologue.

These were some of the key features of dramatic monologue.

• My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
• The Bishop Orders His Tomb  by Robert Browning
• Andrea del Sarto  by Robert Browning
• Men and Women  by Robert Browning
• C hristmas Eve and Easter Day by Robert Browning
• Dramatis Personae  by Robert Browning
• The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by Eliot
• Ulysses by Tennyson

These are some of the famous dramatic monologues.

Ulysses as a Dramatic Monologue

• Ulysses, the single character, who is the main speaker is of the view that living with his wife in the house is not worthy.
• He desires to go away for new experiences.
• He wants to attain knowledge which would forever develop his wisdom and understanding.
• The poem is a protest against the idealism of the Romantic Age , which Ulysses’s wife is a symbol of.

How to Write a Dramatic Monologue

• You need to think about a character, the speech of whom will be in the verse form.
• Give specific traits to the character.
• The audience and the readers should be able to understand the nature of the character.
• Compose the dialogues in the form of a poem.
• The dialogues should be clear enough to describe the character, the other character present there and the surroundings.
• Check for errors.
• Rewrite the script.
• Share with your friends.

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Definition of Monologue

Monologue is a literary device featuring a “speech” made by a single character in a work of literature or dramatic work (for theater or film). Monologues allow a character to address other characters present in the scene and/or the reader/ audience . Monologue originates from the Greek roots for “ alone ” and “speak.” This literary device is purposeful and effective in storytelling as it provides the reader/audience details about a character and the plot . In addition, monologue is a useful method for writers to share the internal thoughts of a character as well as their backstory to enhance the reader’s understanding of the character’s motivations and importance to the narrative .

For example, in Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel American Gods , the character Samantha Black Crow delivers a monologue including this passage:

I believe in a personal god who cares about me and worries and oversees everything I do. I believe in an impersonal god who set the universe in motion and went off to hang with her girlfriends and doesn’t even know that I’m alive. I believe in an empty and godless universe of causal chaos, background noise, and sheer blind luck.

This character’s monologue serves to illustrate their complex inner thoughts as well as reveal for the reader the underlying theme of the novel which is that duality and the interdependence of opposites is fundamental in terms of existence.

Purposes of Monologue

Monologue is an effective literary device, particularly in terms of developing a character and contributing to the reader’s understanding of that character. In addition, a well-written monologue can be a powerful method for a writer to deliver their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs regarding an important subject through one of their characters, as well as enhancing the reader’s enjoyment of the narrative’s plot. Here are the primary purposes of monologue in literature:

• Voice of character : When writers include a natural monologue that is relevant to the story , it allows the reader to become familiar with a character’s authentic voice and point of view .
• Motivation of character: A well-written monologue can help readers understand a character’s motivation in terms of behavior within a narrative.
• Backstory of character: The use of monologue is important for character and plot development, as it can reveal details about both of these story elements. These details provide information and meaning for the reader, move the narrative forward, and indicate the impact of a character’s traits and past events in terms of the overall story.

Examples of Lines from Famous Movie Monologues

Many classic and/or famous movies utilize monologue as a device to showcase an actor’s brilliant performance, deliver resonant script writing, and establish pivotal scenes as well as cultural moments for movie goers. Movie monologues often feature memorable lines that are frequently quoted among audience members and in popular culture. Here are some examples of lines from famous movie monologues:

• I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. – Say Anything
• A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• You don’t know about real loss, because that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself. – Good Will Hunting
• I coulda been a contender. – On the Waterfront
• I want no one else to succeed. – There Will Be Blood
• Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. – Do the Right Thing
• Coffee’s for closers only. – Glengarry Glen Ross
• And I remember that some of it wasn’t very nice, but most of it was beautiful, and you were all there. – The Wizard of Oz
• They dream about being able to watch their kids swim in a pool without worrying they’ll have to have a hysterectomy at age 20… – Erin Brockovich 
• You got today and today only to show me who and what you’re made of. – Training Day

Examples of Shakespearean Characters that Deliver Well-Known Monologues

William Shakespeare frequently utilized monologue as a literary device in his dramatic works, both comedies and tragedies . Shakespearean monologues often move the plot forward while allowing the audience to know and understand a character’s thoughts and feelings. Here are some examples of Shakespearean characters that deliver well-known monologues in his plays:

• Ophelia ( Hamlet )
• Kate ( The Taming of the Shrew )
• Puck ( A Midsummer Night ’s Dream )
• Macbeth ( Macbeth )
• Rosalind ( As You Like It )
• Helena ( All’s Well That Ends Well )
• Ghost ( Hamlet )
• Friar Laurence ( Romeo and Juliet )
• King Ferdinand ( Love’s Labour’s Lost )
• Desdemona ( Othello )

Difference Between Monologue and Soliloquy

Monologue and soliloquy are similar literary devices in the sense that they are spoken by single characters in a theatrical production or literary work. However, these literary devices serve different purposes. A soliloquy is meant to reflect private, internal thoughts and feelings that are articulated during a pause in the action of a story. A soliloquy is not directed towards any listener, including other characters and/or an audience.

Like a soliloquy, a monologue is also spoken by a single character, but it is not private in that it is addressed to fellow characters that are present in the scene. A monologue can also be addressed to the audience and/or reader. Therefore, a monologue does not function as a private expression in literature in the way that soliloquy does.

Examples of Monologue in Literature

Some of the greatest and most memorable writing in literature is present in the form of monologue. Though it can be difficult for a writer to feature monologue in a story without interrupting or detracting from the natural flow of the plot and behavior patterns of the character, this literary device is also an effective and excellent method for showcasing brilliant writing and encouraging deep thought in response on the part of readers.

Here are some examples of monologue in works of literature:

Example 1:  The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

…there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft…when you kill a man, you steal a life…you steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness…there is no act more wretched than stealing…a man who takes what’s not his to take, be it a life or a loaf of naan…I spit on such a man. And if I ever cross paths with him, God help him…

In Hosseini’s novel, the main character’s father, Baba, delivers this monologue to his son Amir. The words are powerful for the reader in terms of defining and categorizing theft as the source of sin, and the monologue reveals the internal belief system of Baba. This literary device is also fundamental to the plot of the novel in that Amir internalizes his father’s abhorrence of theft and uses that knowledge to frame Hassan for stealing. Amir believes that Baba will banish Hassan upon learning of his “theft,” which, in Amir’s mind, will alleviate him of the guilt he feels regarding his decision to not intervene when Hassan is violated.

Example 2:  To Kill a Mockingbird  (Harper Lee)

We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe—some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they’re born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others—some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men. But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal—there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.

Lee’s use of this literary device as the closing argument made by Atticus Finch during Tom Robinson’s trial is one of the most well-known and brilliant monologues in literature. The reader is aware, unfortunately, of Tom’s likely fate. However, Atticus’s inspired and impassioned speech regarding the justice system in America holds out hope for the reader of a possible, different outcome. The monologue in Lee’s novel reflects the complexity and hypocrisy of equality and justice in America , not just in terms of Tom Robinson’s case, but in terms of the nation’s history.

Example 3:  Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)

Whence all this passion towards conformity anyway? Diversity is the word. Let man keep his many parts and you will have no tyrant states. Why, if they follow this conformity business, they’ll end up by forcing me, an invisible man , to become white, which is not a color but the lack of one. Must I strive towards colorlessness? But seriously and without snobbery, think of what the world would lose if that should happen. America is woven of many strands. I would recognize them and let it so remain.

In Ellison’s novel, the narrator and protagonist “Invisible Man” delivers several monologues for the reader as a means of forwarding the plot and relaying his experiences. As this passage indicates, Ellison’s use of monologue is also a vehicle for expressing his thoughts and ideas so that they are impactful and significant for readers. Interestingly, in this novel, the narrator’s frequent monologues addressed to the reader provide a level of insight into the backstory and experiences of the character, yet the reader is held at a distance due to the ambiguity of the character’s actual identity. This allows the reader to process the protagonist’s words and generalize their effect to a more universal group rather than an individual character portrayed in the novel.

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Dramatic Monologue | Definition, Explanation, Features, Uses, Examples and Synonyms of Dramatic Monologue

Dramatic Monologue Meaning: A Dramatic Monologue is referred to as a type of poetry written in the form of a speech of an individual character. It compresses into a single vivid scene, a narrative sense of the speaker’s history and a psychological insight into his character. One of the most important influences in a Dramatic Monologue is romantic poetry.

It is a form of self conversation or a speech that includes interlocutor presented dramatically. Dramatic Monologuein English literature is a poetic form that offers the discussion of the person in a dramatic manner.

Students can also check the  English Summary  to revise with them during exam preparation.

How To Write Dramatic Monologue?

In a Dramatic Monologue, only one character speaks. The character tends to direct his emotions towards a listener who is either inferred or is existing. Its main work is to reveal insight into the character.

An example of the Dramatic Monologue may include Robert Browning’s “My Last Dutchess”, in which an imagined speaker addresses a silent listener.

Dramatic Monologue Features

The features of Dramatic Monologue

• A single person or character is delivering a speech on the aspect of his life and surroundings.
• The audience might or might not be present in front of the speaker.
• The speaker or personality reveals his temperament.

Famous Dramatic Monologues in Film and Television

Television is rising to new heights with everyone streaming television series, and there are some excellent monologues from television. President Bartlet’s monologue in the church in “Two Cathedrals” is the epitome of one of the best television Dramatic Monologues. “How to Get Away with Murder” (2018) has the ingredients for a crucial educating moment with a poignant text told with self-possession.

The best Dramatic Monologues in cinema or movies can be found in every genre. Some top examples of Dramatic Monologues from movies include Jack Nicholson’s stern warning monologue, “you can’t handle the truth” in “A Few Good Men” and Alec Baldwin’s sales incentive monologue, “coffee for closures”.

Dramatic Monologues from movies share several characteristics and are well-acted and highly moving, having a significant impact on the audience.

Why Do Writers Use Dramatic Monologues?

Dramatic Monologues present the point of view of a single character. Often it features the main character facing a dramatic situation, or they might highlight a secondary character who has a unique perspective on events.

Writers use Dramatic Monologues because they serve a specific purpose in storytelling to give the audience more in-depth detail about a particular character or a plot.

It is used very carefully and is a great way to share the internal thoughts or the back story of a character or to give more specific details about the plot.

Dramatic Monologues allow for a distance between the author and the speaker. The person using the “I” is, by definition, not the author. With space, the burden of self-disclosure is lifted.

The Dramatic Monologue tends to preclude self-pity or gut=wrenching confession. Sometimes, the author and the speaker’s distance allows for more personal revelation since the writer does not have to claim the material as autobiographical.

Dramatic Monologues Examples

Example #1 “Set down, set down your honourable load…”-Lady Anne Neville from “Richard III”

When it comes to drama, Shakespeare’s “Richard III” does not fall short. This monologue was spoken by the complex and emotionally-driven Lady Anne.

“Set down, set down your honourable load,

If honour may be shrouded in a hearse,

Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament

The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.

The poor key-cold figure of a holy king!

Pale ashes of the house Lancaster!

Though bloodless remnant of that royal blood!

Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost,

To hear the lamentations of Poor Anne,

Wife to thy Edward, to the slaughter’d son.

Stabb’d by the selfsame hand that made these wounds!”

Example #2 “And for that matter, I have no secrets.” – Julie from “Miss Julie.”

Miss Julie’s woeful tale dates back to the year 1888, which was written by playwright

August Strindberg has been adapted into modern works such as the National Theatre’s production of ‘Julie.’

“And for that matter, I have no secrets. You see, my mother was not of noble birth. She was brought up with ideas of equality, woman’s freedom and all that. She had very decided opinions against matrimony, and when my father courted her, she declared that she would never be his wife- but she did so for all that I came into the world for my mother’s wishes, I discovered, and was brought up like a child of nature by my mother, and taught everything that a boy must know as well;

I was to be an example of a woman being as good as a man- I was made to go about in boy’s clothes and take care of the horses and harness and saddle and hunt, and all such things; in fact, all over the estate women servants were taught to do men’s work, with the result that the property came near being ruined- and so we became the laughing stock of the countryside.”

Dramatic Male Monologues Poem

Example #1 “Is this a dagger which I see before me…” Macbeth in “Macbeth”

The Scottish Play- a story filled with intensity and anguish.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? Or art, though but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou Marshall’s me the way that I was going;

And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools’s the other senses,

Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,

And on thy blade and dungeon gouts of blood, which was not so before. There’s no such thing:

It is the bloody business that informs

Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one half world

Nature seems dead and wicked dreams abuse

The curtain’d sleep; witchcraft celebrates

Pale Hecate’s offerings, and wither’d murder,

Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf,

Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.

With Tarquin’s ravishing strides towards his design

Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,

Hear not my steps. Which way they walk, for fear

Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time,

Which now suits it. Whiles I threat, he lives:

Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath give.

[A bell rings]

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell.”

Example #3 “I’m celebrating because I’ve got a friend who tells me all the things that ought to be told me.”-George Gibbs from “Our Town”

“I’m celebrating because I’ve got a friend who tells me all the things that ought to be told me. I’m glad you spoke to me as you did. But you’ll see. I’m going to change. And Emily, I want to ask you a favour. Emily, if I go away to State Agricultural College next year, will you write me a letter? The day wouldn’t come when I wouldn’t want to know everything about our town. Y’ know, Emily, whenever I meet a farmer I ask him if he thinks it’s important to go to Agricultural School to be a good farmer. And some of them say it’s even a waste of time. And like you say, being gone all that time- in other places, and meeting other people. I guess new people probably aren’t any better than old ones. Emily- I feel that you’re as good a friend as I’ve got. I don’t need to go and meet the people in other towns. Emily, I’m going to make up my mind right now- I won’t go. I’ll tell Pa about it tonight.”

Examples of Dramatic Monologues in Plays

Example #1 Deafening Applause- A dramatic female monologue from the play “Dreams in Captivity.”

“I remember how everyone got quiet okay?

Quiet… and still. Like they were all connected to me. All a part of me.. they were… seeing me.

I mean, really seeing me. And at the end of the show, when I stepped forward to take my bow the applause was-was- It was deafening.”

Example #2 A rose by any other name “Romeo and Juliet” Act 2 Scene 2.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would were he not Romeo call’d,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself.”

Dramatic Monologue Synonyms

A few words that the readers might find similar to the meaning of “Dramatic Monologue” are discourse, speech, sermon, lecture, soliloquy and descant.

Related Literary Terms

• Voices: It is a literary device used in a Dramatic Monologue where the voice expresses the narrator or the author’s emotions, attitudes, tones and point of view. It may be formal or informal.
• Speech: In a Dramatic Monologue, the speaker reveals his thoughts to the audience.

Other Resources

• Read: What are the functions of a Dramatic Monologue
• Read: Types of monologues
• Watch: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

What is dramatic monologue example?

A poem in which an imagined speaker addresses a silent listener, usually not the reader. Examples include Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J.

What is dramatic monologue in literature?

A dramatic monologue (q.v.) is any speech of some duration addressed by a character to a second person. A soliloquy (q.v.) is a type of monologue in which a character directly addresses an audience or speaks his thoughts aloud while alone or while the other actors keep silent.

What are characteristics of dramatic monologue?

Also known as a dramatic monologue, this form shares many characteristics with a theatrical monologue: an audience is implied; there is no dialogue; and the poet takes on the voice of a character, a fictional identity, or a persona.

What are the 5 ingredients of a dramatic monologue *?

5 Tips for Writing Dramatic Monologues

• Start with a compelling opening line. Monologues lack action and dialogue, which can leave the audience unengaged. …
• Present a strong point of view. …
• Develop a storyline. …
• Know your parameters. …
• Wrap up with parting words.

What is the purpose of a dramatic monologue?

Dramatic monologues are a way of expressing the views of a character and offering the audience greater insight into that character’s feelings.

My Last Duchess Summary & Analysis by Robert Browning

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“My Last Duchess” is a dramatic monologue written by Victorian poet Robert Browning in 1842. In the poem, the Duke of Ferrara uses a painting of his former wife as a conversation piece. The Duke speaks about his former wife's perceived inadequacies to a representative of the family of his bride-to-be, revealing his obsession with controlling others in the process. Browning uses this compelling psychological portrait of a despicable character to critique the objectification of women and abuses of power.

• Read the full text of “My Last Duchess”

The Full Text of “My Last Duchess”

      FERRARA

1 That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, 

2 Looking as if she were alive. I call 

3 That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands 

4 Worked busily a day, and there she stands. 

5 Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said 

6 “Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read 

7 Strangers like you that pictured countenance, 

8 The depth and passion of its earnest glance, 

9 But to myself they turned (since none puts by 

10 The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) 

11 And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, 

12 How such a glance came there; so, not the first 

13 Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not 

14 Her husband’s presence only, called that spot 

15 Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps 

16 Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps 

17 Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint 

18 Must never hope to reproduce the faint 

19 Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff 

20 Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough 

21 For calling up that spot of joy. She had 

22 A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad, 

23 Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er 

24 She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. 

25 Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast, 

26 The dropping of the daylight in the West, 

27 The bough of cherries some officious fool 

28 Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule 

29 She rode with round the terrace—all and each 

30 Would draw from her alike the approving speech, 

31 Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked 

32 Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked 

33 My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name 

34 With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame 

35 This sort of trifling? Even had you skill 

36 In speech—which I have not—to make your will 

37 Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this 

38 Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, 

39 Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let 

40 Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 

41 Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse— 

42 E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose 

43 Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, 

44 Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without 

45 Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; 

46 Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands 

47 As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet 

48 The company below, then. I repeat, 

49 The Count your master’s known munificence 

50 Is ample warrant that no just pretense 

51 Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; 

52 Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed 

53 At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go 

54 Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, 

55 Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, 

56 Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

“My Last Duchess” Summary

“my last duchess” themes.

The Objectification of Women

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

Social Status, Art, and Elitism

Control and Manipulation

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “my last duchess”.

That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,  Looking as if she were alive. I call  That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands  Worked busily a day, and there she stands.  Will’t please you sit and look at her?

I said  “Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read  Strangers like you that pictured countenance,  The depth and passion of its earnest glance,  But to myself they turned (since none puts by  The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)  And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,  How such a glance came there; so, not the first  Are you to turn and ask thus.

Lines 13-19

Sir, ’twas not  Her husband’s presence only, called that spot  Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps  Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps  Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint  Must never hope to reproduce the faint  Half-flush that dies along her throat.”

Lines 19-24

Such stuff  Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough  For calling up that spot of joy. She had  A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,  Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er  She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.

Lines 25-31

Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,  The dropping of the daylight in the West,  The bough of cherries some officious fool  Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule  She rode with round the terrace—all and each  Would draw from her alike the approving speech,  Or blush, at least.

Lines 31-34

She thanked men—good! but thanked  Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked  My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name  With anybody’s gift.

Lines 34-43

Who’d stoop to blame  This sort of trifling? Even had you skill  In speech—which I have not—to make your will  Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this  Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,  Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let  Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set  Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—  E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose  Never to stoop.

Lines 43-47

Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,  Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without  Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;  Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands  As if alive.

Lines 47-53

Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet  The company below, then. I repeat,  The Count your master’s known munificence  Is ample warrant that no just pretense  Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;  Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed  At starting, is my object.

Lines 53-56

Nay, we’ll go  Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,  Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,  Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

“My Last Duchess” Symbols

The Painting

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

The Statue of Neptune

“my last duchess” poetic devices & figurative language.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Personification

“my last duchess” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Fra Pandolf
• Countenance
• Munificence
• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “My Last Duchess”

Rhyme scheme, “my last duchess” speaker, “my last duchess” setting, literary and historical context of “my last duchess”, more “my last duchess” resources, external resources.

Robert Browning's Answers to Some Questions, 1914 — In March of 1914, Cornhill Magazine interviewed Robert Browning about some of his poems, including "My Last Duchess." He briefly explains his thoughts on the duchess.

Chris de Burgh, "The Painter" (1976) — Chris de Burgh (a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, best known for "Lady in Red") wrote a song from the perspective of the Duke of Ferrara about his former wife, in which the duchess was having an affair with Fra Pandolf.

My Last Duchess Glass Window — The Armstrong Browning Library and Museum at Baylor University has a stained glass window inspired by "My Last Duchess."

Julian Glover performs "My Last Duchess" — Actor Julian Glover performs "My Last Duchess" with a suitably dramatic tone of voice. Note how he emphasizes the conversational quality of the poem.

Nikolaus Mardruz to his Master Ferdinand, Count of Tyrol, 1565 by Richard Howard, 1929 — This poem by American poet Richard Howard provides the Ferrara's guest's perspective on the meeting between himself and the duke.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Robert Browning

A Light Woman

Among the Rocks

A Toccata of Galuppi's

A Woman's Last Word

Confessions

Home-Thoughts, from Abroad

How they Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix

Life in a Love

Love Among the Ruins

Love in a Life

Meeting at Night

Pictor Ignotus

Porphyria's Lover

Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister

The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church

The Laboratory

The Last Ride Together

The Lost Leader

The Lost Mistress

The Patriot

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Women and Roses

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