drama

Soliloquy

 

A soliloquy (from Latin: "talking by oneself") is a device often used in drama whereby a character speaks to himself or herself, relating his or her thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience. Other characters however are not aware of what is being said.^[1][2] A soliloquy is distinct from a monologue or an aside: a monologue is a speech where one character addresses other characters; an aside is a (usually short) comment by one character towards the audience.
Soliloquies were frequently used in dramas but went "out of fashion" when drama shifted towards realism in the late 18th and 19th century.

Soliloquies in Shakespeare

The plays of William Shakespeare feature many soliloquies, the most famous being the "To be or not to be" speech in Hamlet. In Richard III and Othello, the respective villains use soliloquies to entrap the audience as they do the characters on stage. Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow" speech and Juliet's "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" are other famous examples of Shakespearean soliloquies. (Though Juliet's speech is overheard by Romeo, she believes that she is alone with her thoughts, making her speech a soliloquy.)

Aside

 An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly (in character or out) or represent an unspoken thought. An aside is usually a brief comment, rather than a speech, such as a monologue or soliloquy. Unlike a public announcement, it occurs within the context of the play. An aside is, by convention, a true statement of a character's thought; a character may be mistaken in an aside, but may not be dishonest.