Writing a good dramatic monologue can be difficult, as you have to describe character details and storylines without bogging down the script and making it interesting for the audience. A good dramatic monologue can not only reflect the character’s ideological activities but also add emotional color or suspense to the drama. You can write a monologue that details a character or adds suspense to the entire play. You should start by structuring your monologue, and then refine it further to make it perfect.

Construct a Monologue

Decide on the perspective of the monologue. The monologue should be from the perspective of a character in the play. By focusing on a character, the monologue will have a clear purpose and a unique character voice.

• You could write a monologue for a protagonist, giving them a chance to speak for themselves, or a monologue for a supporting character, giving them a chance to finally express themselves.

Determine the purpose of the monologue. Think about what the point of the soliloquy is, as it plays a critical role in the play. A monologue should reveal something to the audience that is difficult to reveal in dialogue or character interaction. It could be a story, a secret, an answer to an existing question in the show, or an emotional release for a character. A monologue should have a clear purpose, serving as a spiritual revelation for the speaker.

• A monologue should add tension, drama, or emotion to the rest of the play, giving the audience new insights into an existing issue.
• For example, if a character is silent in Act 1, he can give a monologue in Act 2 explaining why he is silent.

Decide who the monologue will be about. You should identify who the speaker of the monologue is addressing so that the audience can be considered when constructing the monologue. The monologue may be directed to a specific character in the play, to yourself, or the audience.

• A monologue can be directed toward a specific character, especially when the speaker wants to express emotions or feelings toward them. A monologue can also express to the audience their thoughts or feelings about an event.

Think carefully about the beginning, middle, and end of your monologue. A good monologue should be clear at the beginning, middle, and end. Like a short story, a monologue should have a clear transition from beginning to end that will bring revelation or understanding to the speaker. The beginning and end of your monologue should be specific.

• Create an outline for your monologue that includes a beginning, middle, and end. Pay attention to what happens at each stage of the monologue.
• For example, you could write: “Beginning: Elena, the mute, talks. Middle: Elena tells us why and how she became mute. Ending: Elena realizes that she would rather remain silent rather than speak out loud.”
• Or, write the first and last lines of a monologue and then create content in between so that the idea for the monologue is born.

Read other monologues. You can read monologues from other plays to better understand the structure of your monologue. These monologues are written for larger plays, but they can also stand on their own as independent dramatic works. Here are a few examples:

• Soliloquy by the Duchess of Berwick in Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan.
• Joan’s soliloquy in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
• Christie’s monologue in “The Playboy of the Western World” by John Millington Synge.
• Antonia Rodriguez’s monologue in “My Princess”.

Write a Monologue

The beginning must be attractive. A monologue must be engaging enough to immediately grab the audience’s attention and entice them to continue watching. The opening words of a monologue set the tone for what follows, allowing the audience to experience the character’s unique voice and speech.

• You can start a monologue from an ending, such as Christie’s monologue in John Millington Synge’s “The Playboy of the West.”
• Christie’s monologue directly tells the audience that he killed his father. He then recounts the events leading up to the murder and how he felt about his actions.

Use the character’s voice and language. A monologue should be written from a character’s perspective, with unique language and voice. In a monologue, using a character’s distinctive voice and language can add color, interest, and perspective to the piece. The monologue should be written using the character’s voice, including any slang or specific phrasing they may use.

• For example, the monologue in “My Princess” is written from the perspective of a Latino father. Using language that fits his character, such as “whoop his ass” and “Oh hell naw!”, the monologue will be more interesting and the character richer.
• Another example is the soliloquy of the Duchess of Berwick. Wilde uses the character’s casual, conversational tone to develop the plot, which does a great job of holding the audience’s attention.

Have the characters reminisce about the past and relate events that are happening in the present. Many of the monologues recount the play’s present action by recalling past events. In your monologue, try to strike a balance between remembering the past and telling the present. Details from the past should help illuminate present events or characters’ situations. The character should use memories to answer current questions.

• For example, in Christie’s monologue, he tells the story of his murder of his father and looks back at the events and times that led to his decision.

Describe in detail. Remember, the audience does not get a chance to see everything that happens in the monologue. They can only rely on the words used in the monologue to describe a moment or detail. You should try to incorporate as many feelings into your monologue as possible so that the audience becomes immersed in the story the monologue is telling.

• For example, Joan’s monologue opens with a startling picture of his childhood: “I lived in a government hut with seven brothers and sisters and a pig; in a barren land with not a blade of grass growing, let alone a tree… ”
• Details in the monologue paint a picture of the cabin where Joan lived as a child. They also flesh out the character and help the audience better understand his past.

Includes a revealing moment. The monologue should include a moment of revelation. It could be a moment of revelation for the speaker, or it could be a moment of revelation for the audience. This will make the plot more suspenseful and involve the audience in the whole drama.

• For example, in his monologue, Christie reveals that his father was not understanding and not a good father. He explains that he did a good thing to the world by killing his father.

Has a button ending. The monologue should have a clear ending, or a push-button ending, in which the ideas expressed in the monologue should have a consequence. The speaker should have accepted something, solved a problem or overcome a difficulty, or made a decision about a conflict in the play. The moment of decision should be clear, and the speaker should take decisive action at the end of the monologue.

• For example, in Joan’s monologue, he said that because he was from a humble background and could not stay with Miss Julie, he had thought about committing suicide. He then concludes the monologue by reflecting on his feelings for Miss Julie.

Further Modifications to the Monologue

Streamline your monologue to the most important parts. A good monologue is neither too long nor too broad. It should contain only the essentials of the monologue, giving the reader enough information to move the plot forward. You should read the monologue thoroughly and then revise it so that it does not contain redundant statements.

• Remove any redundant lines or inappropriate statements. Remove any words that don’t fit the character. Only essential elements should be included in the monologue.

Read the monologue aloud. A monologue is read aloud to an audience, so you should test it by reading it to yourself or a relatable audience. You should listen to it to make sure the monologue has a unique voice and that the language is appropriate for the speaker.

• Watch out for monologues that are confusing or slightly lengthy. Simplify the content to make it easier for the audience to understand.

Have an actor perform the monologue. If possible, you should try to find an actor to perform the monologue for you. You can ask a friend or hire an actor to perform the monologue. Having a professional read your monologue will make it more lively and allow you to modify it to suit your stage performance.