A soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone onstage, used to express their inner thoughts and feelings. It differs from monologues and dialogues, as it is a private communication to the audience without direct interaction with other characters.
A soliloquy in a drama is a speech made by a character who is alone onstage, essentially thinking out loud. It is distinct from a monologue or a dialogue. Unlike a monologue where a character may be speaking to other characters onstage, in a soliloquy, the character is revealing their inner thoughts, feelings, or plans to the audience without addressing any other character. An example of this would be Hamlet's famous 'To be, or not to be' soliloquy from Shakespeare's play. Soliloquy is derived from Latin and combines the words solus (alone) and loqui (to speak), encapsulating the idea that the character is speaking while solitary.
Considering different forms of speech in drama, such as dialogue, monologue, and soliloquy, each serves its own purpose and reveals different aspects of the plot and character. Dialogue typically comprises the majority of the speech in plays, while a soliloquy allows the audience an intimate encounter with a character's private thoughts.