A Soliloquy is a dramatic convention, in which the character stands alone on stage, speaking. Originally it was a plot device, to enable a character to tell the audience what he planned to do next, for example, in the course of revenge. But the device is heightened in Shakespeare as it enables a character to reveal the ‘inner soul’ to the audience without telling the other characters. It is usual that one discovers more of …showed first 75 words of 1215 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1215 total…power of the feelings - the two play off each other to increase their power. Shakespeare uses the soliloquy to its full power, using a wide range of techniques and images. We, the audience see far more of his ‘inner soul’ than perhaps is comfortable, and by doing so, ironically we are just as confused as Hamlet is, regarding the cause of his life should take as well as the inner workings of his soul.