What is the difference between a ‘soliloquy’ and a ‘monologue’?
(S.V. Jayanth, Bangalore)
First, let’s deal with the pronunciation of ‘soliloquy’. The ‘o’ in the first and third syllable is pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘china’. The second syllable ‘lil’ rhymes with ‘fill’, ‘bill’, and ‘chill’. The ‘qui’ in the final syllable is like the ‘qui’ in ‘quit’ and ‘quiz’. The word is pronounced ‘se-LIL-e-kwi’ with the stress on the second syllable. It comes from the Latin ‘soliloquium’ meaning ‘talking to oneself’. A soliloquy is a device used by a dramatist to let the audience know what a character is thinking. In a soliloquy, a character is speaking to himself; he is thinking aloud, and what he says is meant only for the audience, and not for the other characters in the play. The plays of Shakespeare are well known for their soliloquies. A monologue is one person talking; not necessarily to himself. A play in which there is only one character is called a ‘monologue’. The term can also be used to refer to a conversation between two individuals in which one person does most of the talking. The other individual merely listens.
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“Efficiency is intelligent laziness.” — Anonymous
S. UPENDRAN
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