dramatic monologue

American  

[druh-mat-ik mon-uh-lawg, -log] / drəˈmæt ɪk ˈmɒn əˌlɔg, -ˌlɒg /

noun

1. a poetic form in which a single character, addressing a silent listener at a critical moment, reveals something personal or related to the dramatic situation.

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Etymology

Origin of dramatic monologue

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Even when he dispensed with the dramatic monologue to write in other forms, he frequently turned to art and artists as his subject.

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2022

What’s more, he acts them to the hilt, turning “Haircut” into a dramatic monologue with a head-turning reveal and “Uncle Fred Flits By” into a one-disaster-after-another farce from which the only thing missing is pratfalls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2018

Brian Tyree Henry can trace his call to acting back to his senior year in high school when he was performing a dramatic monologue in a play staged for his fellow classmates serving detention.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2017

Ms. Hong also sang with expressive fervor in Milton Babbitt’s “Philomel,” a dramatic monologue based on Ovid’s myth of Philomena.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2016

“And by the way, what play was your dramatic monologue from, Nate?”

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle