DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE

 Definition: A dramatic monologue is a poetic form where:

·        One speaker speaks at length

·        To a silent or implied listener

·        In a specific situation or moment

·        Often revealing personality, motives, and inner conflicts

Key Features:

1.     Single speaker throughout

2.     Silent audience or listener

3.     Psychological insight into the speaker

4.     Often set in a dramatic situation

5.     Mixture of revelation and self-deception

Famous Examples:

1.     “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning

o   The Duke speaks to an envoy about his late wife, unknowingly revealing his pride, jealousy, and cruelty.

2.     “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

o   Ulysses reflects on his past and desire to keep exploring, revealing restlessness and heroism.

3.     “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

o   A modern monologue revealing insecurity, indecision, and social anxiety.

Purpose and Effect:

·        Offers deep character study

·        Blurs the line between speech and confession

·        Builds dramatic tension

·        Often reveals unreliable narration (what the speaker says vs. what the reader understands)

Dramatic Monologue vs. Soliloquy

Form	Speaker talks to…	Example
Dramatic Monologue	A silent listener	“My Last Duchess”
Soliloquy	Himself (in a play)	Hamlet’s “To be or not to be”