Monologue | Creative Writing, Definition & Examples
A monologue is a long speech or passage delivered by a single speaker, usually expressing their thoughts, feelings or perspective. Monologues can be used in different forms of creative writing, such as plays, films, novels, and poetry.
A monologue gives the audience direct access to a character. It can reveal information about their personality, motivations, or experiences.
Monologues can take different forms depending on who the character is speaking to, what they are trying to communicate and how the speech is presented. Common types include interior monologue, dramatic monologue, soliloquy, stream-of-consciousness monologue and narrative monologue.
Key takeaways
- A monologue is an extended speech by a single speaker that can reveal a character’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, and perspective.
- Monologues can appear across plays, films, novels, poetry, and other forms of creative writing.
- Different types of monologues serve different purposes, including interior monologue, dramatic monologue, soliloquy, stream-of-consciousness monologue, and narrative monologue.
- Understanding the different types can help writers choose the right format to develop characters, reveal information, and move the story forward.
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What is a monologue?
A monologue is a long speech or passage delivered by a single speaker. The speaker can address another character or the audience.
In creative writing, monologues are often used to reveal a character’s inner thoughts. It develops their personality and moves the story forward. They offer moments to deeply connect with the audience.
Monologues can be found across different forms of storytelling. In theater and film, they are often performed aloud by an actor. In literature, a monologue appears as a character’s extended speech.
- Single speaker: Only one character talks for an extended period without interruption.
- Clear purpose: The speaker has a specific goal or psychological drive.
- Character revelation: It provides deep insight into the character’s inner thoughts.
- Audience: It can be direct to the viewer, another character or aloud to the character themselves.
Types of monologues
There are different types of monologues that vary in their structure and format. Some are spoken aloud by a character to express their own thoughts, while others are directed toward another character or the audience. The way a monologue is presented can influence what it reveals about the speaker and how the audience experiences the story.
Interior monologue
An interior monologue presents a character’s private thoughts and feelings. It gives the reader direct insight into their inner world. The character does not necessarily speak these thoughts aloud. The author often presents these thoughts from the character’s mind as if the reader is overhearing.
Interior monologues can be used to explore a character’s emotions, memories, doubts and motivations. They are particularly common in novels and short stories.
- Ulysses by James Joyce: Features the unfiltered thoughts of characters like Molly Bloom
- “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot: Uses internal reflection to show deep psychological anxiety and self-doubt
- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: Explores fragmented and non-linear streams of thought
Dramatic monologue
A dramatic monologue is a speech in which a character addresses a specific listener while revealing aspects of their thoughts or circumstances. The audience learns about the speaker through what they say and how they say it.
The listener is usually another character who remains mostly silent. Dramatic monologues are especially common in theater and poetry.
- “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning: A poem where a Renaissance Duke reveals his jealousy
- Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov: A speech about the power of hard work
- Colonel Jessep’s courtroom testimony from A Few Good Men: An intense speech by Jack Nicholson’s character
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a type of monologue in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, usually while alone. It allows the audience to hear thoughts that other characters in the story may not know.
Soliloquies are particularly associated with theater and are commonly used to reveal a character’s internal conflict, intentions or emotional state.
- The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams: In the final scene, the character Tom imagines he’s talking to his sister Laura.
- “To be or not to be” from Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Prince Hamlet contemplates whether it’s better to be dead or alive.
- “Thou, Nature, art my goddess” from King Lear by William Shakespeare: Edmund explores social issues and stigmatization in society.
Stream-of-consciousness monologue
A stream-of-consciousness monologue presents a character’s thoughts as they occur, often without following a linear, structured format. It can move rapidly between memories, emotions, observations, and ideas.
This technique can create a more immediate representation of a character’s inner experience. Writers may use sentence fragments, associations, or sudden shifts in thought to reflect the way the mind naturally moves from one idea to another.
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf: A novel taking the reader through a day in the life of Mrs. Dalloway
- Beloved by Toni Morrison: A novel set right after the American Civil War, characterized by its lack of punctuation and fragmented perspectives
- As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: A novel told through the inner monologues of 15 different characters
Narrative monologue
A narrative monologue is an extended speech in which a character tells a story. It is often spoken or written in the past tense. This monologue type can give the audience or reader context about past events while also revealing the speaker’s character and point of view.
Narrative monologues can be particularly useful when a writer wants a character to recount an important event without presenting the entire event as a separate scene.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Atticus Finch delivers his final courtroom arguments.
- The Zoo Story by Edward Albee: Jerry tells the story about his attempt to poison a dog.
- Good Will Hunting: Sean Maguire sits on a park bench with Will and tells a story about his late wife.
Frequently asked questions about monologue
- What is an inner or internal monologue?
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An inner or internal monologue is the voice inside your head that puts your thoughts into words. It is a mental reproduction of speech, usually in your native language.
It is a continuous stream of thoughts that happens without making a sound. Sometimes it is referred to as the inner voice, as it represents a form of internal conversation or “talk” within your head.
Not everyone experiences a clear inner monologue. Some people think more in concepts, emotions or visual images rather than in words.
Putting your inner monologue into words? Improve your grammar with Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What is the definition of monologue?
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A monologue is a passage or speech delivered by a single speaker. The term is often used to describe long speeches by characters in theater, movies, or novels. A speaker may address the audience or another character or simply express their thoughts aloud.
Monologues are often used in creative writing to reveal a character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations. They can help the audience connect with a character and move the story forward.
If you’re experimenting with writing monologues, try using Quillbot’s Paraphraser to explore different ways of expressing your ideas.
- What types of monologues are there?
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There are several types of monologues, each with a different purpose and structure. Some of the main types include:
- Interior monologue
- Dramatic monologue
- Soliloquy
- Stream-of-consciousness monologue
- Narrative monologue
Discover the differences between the different monologue types with Quillbot’s AI Chat.
- What are examples of monologues?
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There are many types and examples of monologues. Some works that include famous monologues are:
- Ulysses by James Joyce
- My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare (“To be, or not to be”)
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
For more examples of monologues ask Quillbot’s AI Chat to “recommend examples of monologues.”
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