Hamlet:
"To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? ...
Aside: **To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.**"
Explanation:
* Hamlet's "Aside": The lines in bold are spoken directly to the audience, not the other characters on stage.
* Revealing Inner Thoughts: This aside reveals Hamlet's true feelings about death and suicide, which he doesn't want to share with the other characters at this point in the play.
* Breaking the Fourth Wall: The aside temporarily breaks the fourth wall, allowing the audience to hear a character's private thoughts.
Other Literary Examples:
* "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde: Many of Wilde's witty lines are delivered as asides, revealing the characters' true intentions and cynical observations.
* "Twelfth Night" by Shakespeare: Malvolio's famous aside, "I am not that man; I am a gentleman," reveals his delusion and adds humor to the scene.
Asides are often used for comedic effect, to add intrigue, or to give the audience a deeper understanding of a character's internal struggles.