Shakespearean Soliloquy.

Shakespeare is known for his deep understanding of human nature with diverse feelings, emotions, and passions both positive and negative involved in it. Soliloquy is a device according to which a character brings out the inner complex feelings by speaking to himself / herself. The audience is supposed to hear it but not the other characters. Shakespeare gives soliloquies to complex character in order to bring out the secret feelings and plans which the character cannot share with other characters.
    Characters are individuals with their own complex thoughts and emotions. Not all these thoughts and emotions can be shared with others. Though drama is something public by its nature, soliloquies help to bring to light the private side of a character’s personality. It is the most appropriate formula for revealing the complex thoughts in the mind of characters. Shakespeare gives soliloquies either to villains or to protagonists with complex personality. In Othello, he gives more soliloquies to the antagonist Iago. Since Iago is a scheming villain his deceptions, treachery, conspiracies and pretensions can best be revealed through soliloquies. It helps to show that side of the character’s personality which is hidden from the other characters who are the victims of Iago’s villainy. In Hamlet, it is the character Hamlet who soliloquizes often thereby revealing his doubts, dilemmas, fears, anger and musings on questions of morality. Hamlet is not the acting type so the reflective or contemplative side of his personality is best brought out through his soliloquies. His ‘to be or not to be is the question’ is one of the most remarkable soliloquies that serves to highlight the state of indecision in which he finds himself.