Soliloquy

A soliloquy (from Latin solo "to oneself" + loquor "I talk") is a device often used in drama when a character speaks to him- or herself, relating thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience, giving off the illusion of being a series of unspoken reflections. If other characters are present, they keep silent and/or are disregarded by the speaker. Though it should be said that sometimes, depending on the performance, a monologue that is written as a soliloquy, will be addressed directly to the audience. And sometimes it is hard to tell if what is being heard is a monologue, or a duologue or a soliloquy; in which case choosing the right term may be a matter of interpretation. A soliloquy is a type of monologue, but it is not an aside: a monologue is a speech where one character addresses other characters, or the audience; or it is a speech that is self-directed; an aside is a (usually short) comment by one character towards the audience, though during the play it may seem like the character is addressing him or herself. Soliloquies were frequently used in dramas but went out of fashion when drama shifted towards realism in the late 18th century. But nowadays, with budget restrictions in theatre, they have come back into fashion. Good examples in literature can be seen in the words of the character of Iago, who has a leading role in Shakespeare's famous play Othello. Examples of a present form of soliloquy are found in the sitcom Lizzie McGuire and the political drama House of Cards.