Skip to main content

I have to write a new monologue or soliloquy for a character in Richard III. Any ideas?

In Shakespeare’s plays, there are characters who break the Fourth Wall and talk to themselves or to the audience: Puck’s closing speech in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Feste at the end of Twelfth Night; the epilogue in As You Like It, spoken by Rosalind.


When a character breaks the Fourth Wall, it appears to be speaking to the audience.


As Richard’s character is low in the pecking order to the throne, he...

In Shakespeare’s plays, there are characters who break the Fourth Wall and talk to themselves or to the audience: Puck’s closing speech in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Feste at the end of Twelfth Night; the epilogue in As You Like It, spoken by Rosalind.


When a character breaks the Fourth Wall, it appears to be speaking to the audience.


As Richard’s character is low in the pecking order to the throne, he connives, plots, manipulates, and even murders to secure the crown.


As there is a lot of foreshadowing, curses, dreams, and ghosts in this play, you might consider a monologue/soliloquy emerging from any of these – this is fertile ground for the imagination.


Richard is ruthless.  Does he have a conscience?  Do we ever see it?  Would a monologue/soliloquy that is his conscience be worth exploring?  What about the conscience of who he murdered?  Murder does not only mean the physical; it can be the murder of love.  Who does Richard murder or destroy along the way?  What if these characters were given a voice?  Woody Allen used this device in his movie Matchpoint, where the character of Chris has apparitions of Nola and Mrs. Eastby.


In 1996, Al Pacino made his directorial debut with a movie called Looking for Richard. It’s thought provoking; he ruminates and it is deeply felt—it asks more questions than are answered.  You can find the full movie on You Tube.


Immerse yourself in the play and what it’s about, then let your imagination run wild. Since you have the assignment to create a new monologue/soliloquy, you have creative freedom, especially in the foreshadowing mentioned above, to have a field day. 


And remember, what you initially write or create may not be the final monologue/soliloquy. Sometimes, as a writer, what initially emerges paves the way for something far grander than one had initially imagined.  See where it takes you, and enjoy the journey. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more