Soliloquy

A soliloquy (from Latin: "talking by oneself") is a device often used in drama when a character speaks to himself, relating thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience. Other characters, however, are not aware of what is being said. A soliloquy is distinct from a monologue or an aside: a monologue is a speech where one character addresses other characters; an aside is a (usually short) comment by one character towards the audience.

Soliloquies were frequently used in dramas but went out of fashion when drama shifted towards realism in the late 18th century.