Shakespeare's characters often deliver three different types of dramatic speeches. A soliloquy is a lengthy speech in which a character alone on stage tells the audience what he or she is thinking. One of the best soliloquies in Romeo and Julietis Juliet's speech during Act IV, Scene 3, before she drinks the Friar's potion. A monologue is similar to a soliloquy in its length but it is addressed to other characters in the play...
Shakespeare's characters often deliver three different types of dramatic speeches. A soliloquy is a lengthy speech in which a character alone on stage tells the audience what he or she is thinking. One of the best soliloquies in Romeo and Juliet is Juliet's speech during Act IV, Scene 3, before she drinks the Friar's potion. A monologue is similar to a soliloquy in its length but it is addressed to other characters in the play and not exclusively to the audience. Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech in Act I, Scene 4 is an excellent example of a monologue. An aside is a brief remark (unlike the much longer soliloquy) by a character revealing thoughts or feelings to the audience unheard by other characters. Romeo uses an aside at the end of Act I, Scene 4 when he expresses his fear about the future.
Juliet's speech to close Act III, Scene 5, which begins "Ancient damnation!", is best defined as an aside. The Nurse has just left the room after advising Juliet to forget Romeo and heed her father's wishes in marrying Count Paris. The girl is alone on stage revealing her thoughts to the audience. It is not long enough to be considered a soliloquy and serves only to alert the audience to the girl's changing feelings for the nurse and that she will now seek "counsel" from Friar Lawrence.
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