New
New
Year 5

Identifying the features of a soliloquy

I can explain what a soliloquy is and identify its features.

New
New
Year 5

Identifying the features of a soliloquy

I can explain what a soliloquy is and identify its features.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A soliloquy is a type of monologue that occurs when a character voices their thoughts and feelings aloud.
  2. Playwrights include soliloquies to give the audience an insight into characters' feelings.
  3. In Shakespeare's plays, high status characters' soliloquies follow iambic pentameter structure.
  4. Soliloquies are written in the first person.
  5. Other characters are silent during the speaker's soliloquy.

Keywords

  • Soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play

  • Monologue - a long speech by one actor in a play or film

  • Blank verse - unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter

  • Iambic pentamenter - a style of writing poems in lines of ten syllables with emphasis on the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth syllable

Common misconception

Pupils will find this lesson difficult if they do not have a secure understanding of what a syllable is.

Ahead of the lesson, ask pupils to show you how many syllables there are in three different words (using their hands to 'clap the syllables') so you can assess if there are any pupils who need support prior to the lesson.

You could play some sinister classical music in the background while pupils write their soliloquies or while they perform them to make it more dramatic!
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What have the witches prophesised?
Banquo will be king
Correct answer: Macbeth will be king
Macbeth's sons will be kings
Correct answer: Banquo's sons will be kings
Q2.
Which of these events happen after Banquo and Macbeth meet the witches on the heath?
Correct answer: Macbeth writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth.
Correct answer: Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor.
Banquo writes a letter to Duncan and warns him about the witches.
Correct answer: Macbeth rides home with Duncan and his men.
Banquo is revealed as a traitor.
Q3.
How does Lady Macbeth react when Macbeth returns home?
Correct answer: She encourages him to kill Duncan so he can become the king.
She is horrified that Macbeth is thinking of killing the king.
She thinks Macbeth imagined the witches and should ignore their prophecies.
Q4.
Which of the following are reasons why Macbeth feels he should kill Duncan?
He must be a good host and look after Duncan.
Correct answer: He is ambitious and wants to become king himself.
Correct answer: He would please his wife, Lady Macbeth.
He does not want to be known as a traitor.
Q5.
Which of the following are reasons why Macbeth feels he should not kill Duncan?
He wants to impress Lady Macbeth.
Correct answer: He is hosting Duncan and he feels he should be protecting him from murderers.
He wants everyone to think he is ruthless.
Correct answer: Duncan has been good to Macbeth and he has made him Thane of Cawdor.
Q6.
How does Act I end?
Correct answer: The murder has been planned, but it has not been carried out.
Macbeth has killed Duncan.
Macbeth has decided he cannot kill Duncan.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which definition matches which keyword?
Correct Answer:monologue,a long speech by one actor in a play or film

a long speech by one actor in a play or film

Correct Answer:soliloquy,an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself

Correct Answer:protagonist,a main character who might say a soliloquy in a play

a main character who might say a soliloquy in a play

Q2.
Soliloquies are written from which perspective?
Correct answer: first person perspective (I / we)
second person perspective (you)
third person perspective (he / she / they)
Q3.
Why are soliloquies useful for the audience?
they tell them what the stage directions are
they tell them when the act will end
Correct answer: they tell them how the characters are feeling at certain points in the play
Q4.
What is true of blank verse?
it always rhymes
Correct answer: it is written in iambic pentameter
Correct answer: it does not rhyme
is should only be sung
Q5.
Iambic pentameter follows which rules?
each line has 15 words
each line has 20 syllables
Correct answer: each line has 10 or 11 syllables
Correct answer: 5 of the syllables are unstressed and 5 of the syllables are stressed
Q6.
The word 'soliloquy' comes from the Latin words 'solus' and 'loqui'. What does 'solus' mean?
loud
Correct answer: alone
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