A monologue is a speech that a person develops alone.
The first thing we are going to do to know the meaning of the term monologue is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can emphasize that it is a word that derives from Greek. Exactly it is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language:
-The word "monos", which can be translated as "one" or "alone."
-The noun "logos", which is synonymous with "study", "word" or even "treaty".
What is a monologue
A monologue is a soliloquy : a speech that an individual makes alone. In a monologue, the person does not dialogue with another , but rather expresses himself individually, externalizing his thoughts or emotions without waiting for a response.
For example: "The governor said he was going to give a press conference, although in the end he did not accept questions and gave a twenty-minute monologue" , "I'm sorry to interrupt your monologue, but I would like to clarify something for you" , "Every time the boss tells us calls a meeting, ends up doing endless monologues without listening to anyone .
Among the words that can function as synonyms for monologue are from speech to recitation or even aside. On the contrary, among its antonyms dialogue stands out.
It can be said that whoever performs a monologue speaks alone. Many times the subject addresses someone else, but does not intend to receive comments or questions from his interlocutor (who, in reality, is limited to being a listener).
Unlike what happens in a dialogue, in a monologue there is no exchange with an interlocutor.
The concept in the theater
In the field of theater , monologues are works or scenes in which there is a single character who speaks . The character can communicate with himself or project a supposed dialogue towards an object or an animal: someone who "talks" to a photograph or a skull, to name two possibilities.
One of the most important plays on the Spanish stage that is a monologue is "Five hours with Mario", which is based on a novel written by Miguel Delibes in 1966. This performance has been performed on stages in many countries. cities by the Valladolid actress Lola Herrera (1935). Specifically, he has been carrying out this work since 1979.
In that she plays Carmen, a middle-aged woman from the upper-middle class who has just become a widow. Specifically, said woman carries out a monologue where she addresses her husband, now deceased, to review the life they have had together.
Monologues in comedy, television and radio
Monologues are the essence of the comedy genre known as stand-up . These comedians, standing on stage, expand on different topics trying to make the audience laugh.
In Spain, television programs such as "El Club de la Comedia" have promoted monologue in recent years. And they have achieved it thanks to the great work carried out by figures such as Dani Rovira, Goyo Giménez, Eva Hache, Anabel Alonso and Leo Harlem.
Many journalists on television and radio, on the other hand, often do monologues. The host of a television news program, to mention one case, can perform a monologue after the broadcast of a special report on insecurity , expressing his point of view regarding said problem while looking at the camera.