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soliloquy
soliloquy the speech by a character in a literary composition, usually a play, delivered while the speaker is either alone addressing the audience directly or the other actors are silent. It is most commonly used to reveal the innermost concerns or thoughts of the speaker, thus pointing up the drama of internal conflict, as in Richard III's opening speech, "Now is the winter of our discontent." The form was quite popular in Elizabethan drama, notably in the plays of Shakespeare. The soliloquy may also act simply as a vehicle for information about absent characters or events occurring at some other time or place. In the modern theater the soliloquy has tended to disappear completely, although experimentations in its use were attempted by such playwrights as Eugene O'Neill, who sought through the soliloquy to achieve a greater psychological realism. See monologue . |
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"soliloquy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "soliloquy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-soliloqu.html "soliloquy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-soliloqu.html |
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soliloquy
so·lil·o·quy / səˈliləkwē/ • n. (pl. -quies) an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, esp. by a character in a play. ∎ a part of a play involving such an act. DERIVATIVES: so·lil·o·quist / -kwist/ n. so·lil·o·quize / -ˌkwīz/ v. |
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"soliloquy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "soliloquy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-soliloquy.html "soliloquy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-soliloquy.html |
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soliloquy
soliloquy XVII. — late L. sōliloquium, f. sōlus SOLE2 + loquī speak.
Hence soliloquize XVIII. |
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T. F. HOAD. "soliloquy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "soliloquy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-soliloquy.html T. F. HOAD. "soliloquy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-soliloquy.html |
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soliloquy
soliloquy
•Myfanwy • Malawi • Zimbabwe
•Anhui • Dewi
•kiwi, peewee, weewee
•Conwy, Goronwy
•soliloquy, ventriloquy
•colloquy • obloquy
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Cite this article
"soliloquy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "soliloquy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-soliloquy.html "soliloquy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-soliloquy.html |
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