Examples Of Soliloquies In Macbeth

A soliloquy is a dramatic device used to express a character's inner thoughts and ideas to the audience. It is very popular in Elizabethan drama, specifically in Shakespearean plays. The use of soliloquies can be seen in Macbeth as early as the first act. In Scene V, Lady Macbeth enters reading a letter sent to her by Macbeth. As the letter comes to an end, Lady Macbeth begins to have an internal conversation out loud, expressing her feelings and emotions to the audience. This is a soliloquy. “Yet do I fear they nature… Thou wouldst be great.” (Lines 16-18) Clearly, Lady Macbeth is showing her inner thoughts of Macbeth allowing readers to interpret that she sees kindness as a weakness. Later on in Scene VII, Macbeth enters with his own soliloquy.