A character alone on stage speaks thoughts aloud. A soliloquy is that private speech made public for the audience. Shakespeare’s plays are rich in soliloquies; Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” is the most famous. The device lets the audience hear internal debate, hidden motives, or emotional states that other characters do not share.

Unlike a monologue, which is usually addressed to other people on stage, a soliloquy is addressed to the self or to the audience as confidants. It creates intimacy and dramatic irony: the audience knows more than the other characters do. Modern drama and film have developed related techniques—voice-over, direct address to camera—but the classical soliloquy remains a powerful model.

Writing an effective soliloquy requires making private thought sound both natural and heightened. The speech must advance the audience’s understanding while remaining true to the character’s voice and situation. When it succeeds, the soliloquy becomes a moment of concentrated insight into the workings of a mind under pressure.