Soliloquy:
* Length: A soliloquy is a longer, extended speech. It's a private, uninterrupted monologue delivered by a character alone on stage.
* Purpose: It's used to explore a character's complex thoughts, emotions, and motivations, often revealing crucial information about their past, future plans, or inner turmoil.
* Audience: The character is speaking to themselves, though the audience is privy to their thoughts.
* Examples: Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech, Macbeth's "Is this a dagger which I see before me?"
Aside:
* Length: An aside is a short, brief comment delivered directly to the audience, usually in a lower voice.
* Purpose: An aside often reveals a character's immediate thoughts or feelings, a witty remark, or a hidden secret. It's also used for comic effect or to break the fourth wall.
* Audience: The character is speaking directly to the audience, while other characters on stage remain unaware of what was said.
* Examples: Romeo's comment "She speaks, yet she says nothing" in *Romeo and Juliet* after Juliet speaks about her love for Romeo.
Here's a simple analogy:
* Soliloquy: A diary entry, revealing deep thoughts and feelings.
* Aside: A whispered secret to a friend.
In short:
* Soliloquies are longer, more introspective speeches, while asides are short, direct comments to the audience.
* Soliloquies reveal a character's inner world, while asides offer a glimpse into their immediate thoughts and feelings.