Poetry 101 What Is a Soliloquy Learn the Difference Between Soliloquy, Monologue, and an Aside With Examples

When most people hear the word â€Å"soliloquy† their mind might produce a singular image: Hamlet, Act Three, Scene One, where Hamlet ponders the value of his own continued existence: â€Å"To be, or not to be, that is the question.† So begins one of the most iconic soliloquies in the dramatic arts. Not only is this monologue a window into a tortured man’s soul: it’s also a piece of poetry.