What Is A Monologue?
“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 heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d…”
From Shakespeare’s Hamlet
This long speech by the character Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is an example of a monologue. A monologue is a long speech made by a character in a play or film. The speech can be made to other characters in a film. However, there are times when the speech is not made to other characters but, rather, the speech is made to the character by the character. In other words, it is a speech a character makes to himself as part of the character’s self-reflection. This kind of monologue is known as a soliloquy.
Actor’s use monologues for performance and for auditioning purposes. They perform monologues during live performances before audiences. But, more commonly, actors use monologues when auditioning for roles in plays and films. Performing a monologue well can peak the interest of a talent agent, producer, or director and secure a role in a film, play or television program.
The Comedic Monologue
“Hello Blanche, how are you?…Err, yes I have a pretty
good idea why you’re calling…I’m a week behind with the
check, right?…Four weeks? That’s not possible…Because
it’s not possible…Blanche I keep a record of every check
and I know I’m only three weeks behind!…Blanche, I’m
trying the best I can…Blanche, don’t threaten me with jail,
because it’s not a threat, with my expenses and my alimony,
a prisoner takes home more pay than I do…Very nice in
front of the kids…Blanche, don’t tell me you’re going to
have my salary attached, just say goodbye…Goodbye!
(hangs up, to the others) I’m eight hundred dollars behind
in alimony, so let’s up the stakes.”.
From Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple
If an actor is auditioning for a comedic role in a film, he or she might want to perform a monologue like this. This is an example of a comedic monologue. It is the type of monologue that actors can perform to showcase their comedic talents. Good comedic monologues allow actors to show their ability to do character impressions, facial expressions, funny sounds, movements and demonstrate comedic timing.
The Dramatic Monologue
“I’m afraid you can’t budge me. Goodness, yes, you can!
I’m trying! I know but I’m – Am I? Oh, my! Oh, my goodness!
Table. Yes. Yes. Now it is just like all the other horses. Horn!
It doesn’t matter. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. I don’t
have favourites much. It’s no tragedy. Glass breaks so easily.
No matter how careful you are. The traffic jars the shelves and
things fall off them. I’ll just imagine he had an operation. The
horn was removed to make him feel less – freakish! Now he will
feel more at home with the other horses, the ones that don’t have
horns…”.
From Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie
If an actor is auditioning for a dramatic role in a film, he or she might want to perform a monologue like this. This is an example of a dramatic monologue. It is the type of monologue that actors can perform to showcase their dramatic talents. Good dramatic monologues allow the actor to demonstrate an ability to go through a range of emotions, such as fear, sadness, anger or joy.
The Shakespearean Monologue
Actors should always have both a comedic and dramatic monologue memorized. This allows an actor to be able to perform an audition at a moment’s notice.
But, in addition to comedic and dramatic monologues, it is also helpful for an actor to memorize a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s plays, like the one feature above. Memorizing a Shakespearean monologue can showcase the actor’s range and demonstrate his ability to perform in a variety of settings and roles.
Related Topics
What Is a Monologue? – Learn the basic definition of a monologue and how actors use extended solo speeches in performances and auditions.
What Are Monologues in Acting? – Explore dramatic, comedic, narrative and interior monologues and how each type allows actors to demonstrate different performance skills.
What Are Some Examples of Monologues? – Discover famous monologues from theater and film that demonstrate the dramatic power of an extended speech by a single character.
How Do Actors Find Monologues? – Learn where performers can search for classical, contemporary, dramatic and comedic monologues suited to their individual casting type.
What’s a Good Monologue? – Explore the character voice, emotional arc, conflict and acting opportunities that help make a monologue effective.
What Are the 10 Best Audition Monologues? – Discover memorable theatrical monologues that can help actors demonstrate emotional range, character development and performance ability.
What Monologues Should Actors Avoid? – Learn why actors may want to avoid overused, overly long or poorly matched monologues when choosing audition material.
How Long Is a Good Monologue? – Explore common audition-monologue lengths and why a concise one-to-two-minute piece is often the strongest choice.
Can a Monologue Be Talking to Someone? – Learn why a monologue can still be directed toward another character even when only one performer speaks at length.
Can You Swear in a Monologue? – Explore when profanity can serve character and emotion in a monologue and when it may be inappropriate for an audition.
Can a Demo Reel Be a Monologue? – Learn whether a strong solo performance can be used to showcase acting ability when building an early demo reel.
Do You Have to Memorize a Monologue for an Audition? – Discover why memorizing audition monologues generally allows actors to concentrate more fully on character, emotion and connection.
Should You Memorize Monologues for Auditions? – Explore the advantages of being off-book and how memorization can help actors deliver more confident audition performances.
Memorize Your Lines in 5 Easy Steps – Follow a practical system actors can use to learn lengthy scenes and monologues more efficiently.
Remembering Your Lines – Discover techniques such as speaking aloud, movement and repetition that can help actors remember large scripts and monologues.
How Do Actors Remember Their Lines? – Learn how repetition, scene analysis, blocking and emotional understanding help professional performers retain dialogue.
How Do Actors Memorize So Much Dialogue? – Explore the memorization strategies actors use when learning long speeches, scenes and entire scripts.
How Do Actors Memorize Dialogue? – Discover how understanding character motivation and breaking scripts into smaller sections can make lines easier to remember.
How Long Does It Take for an Actor to Memorize a Scene? – Learn how dialogue length, emotional complexity and experience influence the amount of preparation actors need.
What Is a Cold Read? – Explore how cold reading differs from performing a fully prepared and memorized audition monologue.
What Is an Audition? – Learn how prepared monologues, script readings and cold reads are commonly used to evaluate actors during auditions.
What Is an Audition? – Explore different audition formats, including monologues, dialogues, scenes, songs, improvisation and cold readings.
What Is an Audition? – Discover how actors use prepared monologues and other short performances to demonstrate their suitability for a role.
What Is a Callback Audition? – Learn what happens after a successful initial monologue or scene audition when casting professionals want to see an actor again.
Nailing Your Audition: 10 Essential Tips for Actors – Explore audition-preparation advice, including how to choose, rehearse and master a monologue that showcases your strengths.
What Is an Audition Reader? – Learn why monologues require only one performing actor while dialogue auditions usually involve a reader providing another character’s lines.
What Is a Self-Tape? – Explore how actors record auditions remotely and perform scenes or monologues for casting professionals to review.
What Is a Self-Tape Audition? – Learn how performers prepare, record and submit audition material such as scenes, sides and monologues from home.
How to Do a Self-Tape on Your Own – Discover how actors can record solo audition material, including monologues, without needing another performer in the room.
10 Tips for Making the Perfect Self-Tape – Learn how script preparation, framing, sound and a well-rehearsed performance can strengthen a recorded audition.
7 Ways to Do a Self-Tape Without a Reader – Explore several methods for performing audition material alone, including adapting certain dialogue scenes into monologue-style performances.
Can You Use a Script in a Self-Tape? – Learn when actors may reference scripts while recording scenes or monologues and why being familiar with the material generally improves a performance.
Can I Hold the Script in a Self-Tape? – Explore when holding audition material is acceptable and how performers can avoid allowing the script to distract from their acting.
Do You Read Stage Directions in a Self-Tape? – Learn why actors generally perform stage directions physically rather than reading them aloud during scenes and monologues.
What Is It Called When an Actor Addresses the Audience? – Explore monologues, soliloquies, asides and fourth-wall breaks that allow performers to communicate directly with an audience.
What Does a Line Mean in a Play? – Learn how individual lines, dialogue, monologues, soliloquies and asides function within theatrical scripts.
What Special Terminology Is Used in Acting? – Explore acting terms such as soliloquy, cold read, blocking, beats and cues that actors encounter while preparing monologues and scenes.
How to Get an Acting Reel with No Experience – Learn how beginning performers can use a professionally recorded monologue as temporary material while building stronger scene-based footage.
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