Mini-Lesson: “Soliloquy”
Lesson Rationale:
Problem: Some students in the class avoid reading because it does not seem to connect to
their lives (page 22, Language Arts Idea Bank).
The class seems bored with theatre, and unable to relate to the language in the play. This
lesson is an attempt to bring theatre directly to the student’s life. Students will examine
the convention of soliloquy in literature. Focus will include the use of monologue to
advance plot, influence audience opinion, create compassion, and establish a framework
for the play to progress. Students may wish to use this type of convention in their own
writing, possibly in a parody, or at least consider the ways in which they may advance
their plots in writing. The Language Arts Idea Bank states that as a response to reading,
the class could, “engage in role playing to illustrate a conflict similar to one you read
about” or to “re-write or perform a section of your reading in a different form” (23). The
point of studying the soliloquy is kind of academic trickery: students are studying a
convention in literature while connecting themselves with this form.
Grade Level: 10
Lesson Topic: The Soliloquy in Theatre
Length of Lesson: 13.4 minutes
Materials/Resources Needed For Lesson:

Chalkboard and chalk

Laptop (or overheads) and projection screen.

Microsoft Office 2003

Example of soliloquy (hopefully from the play in study)

Definition from vocabulary book
Organizational Approach:
The class as a group, the class in groups, and as individuals.
Step-by-Step Lesson Activities and Estimated Times:

Perform a soliloquy (3 minutes)

Talk about it. Ask the students what they can say about soliloquies: Work towards
a definition (2 minutes).

Go back to the beginning. State the process you used to come up with this
soliloquy: Read the text. Get an understanding of the subject of the text. Think of
how you can connect it with your own life. Play with the language of it, focus on
the structure or focus on the meaning, just make it your own.
For Follow-up:

Give students another example of a soliloquy from the play they are reading (on
paper). Hopefully this mini-lesson can be timed so that the soliloquy is the last
part of their assigned reading. Allow them to talk about the struggle of the
character, and have them work towards an articulation of this struggle in their
own words (8 minutes).
o Another way this could be done is to have students read the soliloquy,
making notes on their paper (5 mins), then turning towards group mates
for a discussion about their notes. They may learn something from others
and have the benefit of taking a shot at some difficult language on their
own.
Handy-dandy definition:
“Soliloquy: the act of talking to oneself, whether silently or aloud. In drama it
denotes the convention by which a character, alone on the stage, utters his or her thoughts
aloud. Playwrights have used this device as a convenient way to convey information
about a character’s motives and state of mind, or for purposes of exposition, and
sometimes in order to guide the judgements and responses of the audience.” – From A
Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th Edition by M.H. Abrams.
Handout:
Directions:
1. Read the soliloquy on page ___.
2. Make notes on what the character is saying. Be sure to look at both how and why
the character is presenting his/her information.
3. Choose one of the following:
a. Retell the soliloquy in your own words. Feel free to use words or phrases
you use with your friends. Make sure your grandmother could show her
friends at tea.
b. Using the language of the character, change the meaning of the soliloquy
into something that relates to your life. Maybe you’re worried about a
friend, anxious about a soccer game, etc.
c. Write a paragraph about what the character is doing during the
monologue. In it, be sure to create a set appropriate to the play, and
discuss how the character is interacting with it. Is he/she pacing? Where
are his/her arms? What expressions are on his/her face? Be creative.