Shakespeare Monologues by William Shakespeare
15 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsThis is truly a delightful compilation of some of the best known and loved passages from William Shakespeare's plays. Most readers would be familiar with all or at least some of them. If you've studied Shakespeare in school or college, plays like The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth were probably assigned texts. However, if you haven't encountered these plays before, Shakespeare Monologues is a great volume to browse through and enjoy at leisure.
It's important to know that there is a distinction between the terms “monologue” and “soliloquy.” Since Shakespeare's plays often contain both these, the reader should be informed that a monologue is a speech delivered by one person and usually made to an audience, while a soliloquy is more of a kind of self-talk and a sort of thinking aloud, delivered by a character to none but himself/herself, presuming that he/she is alone. For instance, Mark Antony's “Friends, Romans, countrymen...” speech from Julius Caesar is a monologue, while Hamlet's “To be or not to be...” is a soliloquy.
This volume contains fifteen monologues from various plays. Ranging from Portia's memorable speech, “The quality of mercy is not strained...” from The Merchant of Venice, to Juliet's impassioned cry, “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” from Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth's tormented “Is this a dagger I see before me?” which he speaks just before he commits the heinous crime of Duncan's murder.
Other remarkable monologues include Kate's impassioned speech from Taming of the Shrew, “No shame but mine....” in which she's stood-up at the altar by Petruchio and blames herself for agreeing to marry a “mad-brain rudesby!” If you've read Othello, you'll probably remember Emilia, Iago's soft-spoken but perceptive wife. Her monologue, “But I do think it is their husband's fault if wives do fall....” squarely refuses to condemn a woman for having an affair outside marriage – a remarkable comment for those times. Another lovely monologue is the wonderfully evocative “If we shadows have offended...” from A Midsummer Night's Dream in which Shakespeare speaks in the voice of his fellow actors and talks about dreams and reality, the stage and real life.
Lesser-known monologues are Viola's speech from Twelfth Night, “I left no ring with her...” in which she realizes that Olivia has fallen in love with her, Viola, who is disguised as a man called Cesario!
Measure for Measure's “Tis one thing to be tempted...” and Richard II's “Of comfort let no man speak...” are other immortal passages.
Shakespeare's Monologues is indeed a golden treasure not to be missed by any Shakespeare follower.
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Episodes
Merchant of Venice – Quality of Mercy (Act 4, Scene 1)
January 02, 2024 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Taming of the Shrew – No Shame But Mine (Act 3, Scene 2)
January 01, 2024 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Macbeth – They met me on the day of sucess (Act 1, Scene 5)
December 31, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Romeo and Juliet – More Than Prince of Cats (Act 2, Scene 4)
December 30, 2023 00:00 - 49 seconds - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Macbeth – Is this a dagger? (Act 2, Scene 1)
December 29, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – If We Shadows Have Offended (Act 5, Scene 2)
December 28, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Henry V – Prologue (Act 1, Scene 1)
December 27, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
King John – I defy all counsel (Act 3, Scene 4)
December 26, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Romeo and Juliet – Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo (Act 2, Scene 2)
December 25, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Twelfth Night – I left no ring with her (Act 2, Scene 2)
December 24, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
The Tempest – Be Cheerful Sir (Act 4, Scene 1)
December 23, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Othello – Emilia (Act 4, Scene 3)
December 22, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Hamlet – Hamlet’s Speech to the Players (Act 3, Scene 2)
December 21, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Richard II – Of Comfort No Man Speak (Act 3, Scene 2)
December 20, 2023 00:00 - 2 minutes - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
Measure for Measure – Tis One Thing To Be Tempted (Act 2, Scene 1)
December 19, 2023 00:00 - 1 minute - 977 KBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com