In search of free dramatic monologues to captivate your viewers? Whether or not you’re an actor making ready for an audition or a drama fanatic exploring the depths of theatrical expression, our curated listing of “22 Dramatic Monologues from Theater and Movie” gives a various assortment of performances that spotlight the complexity of human feelings. From traditional performs to modern movies, these free monologues present a wealthy tapestry of characters and narratives that may encourage, problem, and transfer you.
Monologues for Girls
1. “Metal Magnolias” by Robert Harling
Character: M’Lynn
Abstract: M’Lynn talks in regards to the final moments along with her daughter Shelby, expressing her deep sorrow and the power she present in that painful expertise.
Monologue: “No. I couldn’t depart my Shelby. I simply sat there and saved pushin’ the best way I at all times have the place Shelby was involved…hoping she’d sit up and argue with me. Lastly, all of us realized there was no hope. At that time, I panicked. I used to be afraid that I wouldn’t survive the following couple of minutes whereas they turned off the machines. Drum couldn’t take it. He left. Jackson couldn’t take it. He left. However I couldn’t depart. I simply sat there, holding Shelby’s hand whereas the sounds acquired softer and the beeps acquired farther aside till all was quiet. There was no noise, no tremble, simply peace. I spotted as a lady how fortunate I used to be. I used to be there when this glorious particular person drifted into my life and I used to be there when she drifted out.”
For the complete monologue, go to Scribd and WhySanity.
2. “V for Vendetta” by the Wachowskis
Character: Valerie
Abstract: Valerie’s monologue is a poignant recount of her life and love earlier than and through the oppressive regime, emphasizing the significance of preserving one’s integrity.
Monologue: “I do know there’s no method I can persuade you this isn’t considered one of their tips. However I don’t care. I’m me. My title is Valerie. I don’t assume I’ll dwell for much longer, and I needed to inform somebody about my life. That is the one autobiography that I’ll ever write, and God, I’m writing it on rest room paper. I used to be born in Nottingham in 1985. I don’t bear in mind a lot of these early years, however I do bear in mind the rain. My grandmother owned a farm in Tottlebrook, and she or he used to inform me that God was within the rain. I handed my eleven-plus and went to lady’s grammar. It was in school that I met my first girlfriend. Her title was Sarah. It was her wrists; they had been stunning. I assumed we might love one another ceaselessly. I bear in mind our instructor telling us that it was an adolescent section that folks outgrew. Sarah did. I didn’t. In 2002, I fell in love with a woman named Christina. That 12 months I got here out to my dad and mom. I couldn’t have performed it with out Chris holding my hand. My father wouldn’t take a look at me; he informed me to go and by no means come again. My mom mentioned nothing. I’d solely informed them the reality. Was that so egocentric? Our integrity sells for therefore little, however it’s all we actually have. It’s the final inch of us, however inside that inch we’re free. An inch, it’s small and it’s fragile, and it’s the solely factor on the planet price having. We must not ever lose it or give it away. We must not ever allow them to take it from us. I hope that, whoever you might be, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that issues get higher. However what I hope most of all is that you simply perceive what I imply once I inform you that though I have no idea you, and though I could by no means meet you, chortle with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I like you. With all my coronary heart, I like you.”
For the complete monologue, go to WhySanity and HubPages.
3. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” by John Patrick Shanley
Character: Roberta
Abstract: Roberta reveals her traumatic previous and emotional struggles, making it a robust exploration of a deeply troubled character.
Monologue: “And I dreamed in regards to the ocean. It was actual blue. And there was the solar, and it was actual yellow. And I used to be on the market, proper in the course of the ocean, all on my own, and I might hear the water, simply the best way it sounds in a conch shell. And I assumed, possibly that is what it’s wish to be useless. However I used to be nonetheless myself, you recognize? After which I appeared down, and I couldn’t see the underside of the ocean. It was like a mile down. And I acquired actually scared as a result of I knew I couldn’t swim a mile. So I attempted to get again to shore. Nevertheless it was so far-off. And the water acquired into my nostril and my mouth, and it was so chilly. And I assumed, that is it. That is the top of all the pieces. After which, instantly, I felt this hand on my again. And I circled, and there was this man standing on the water, smiling at me. And I knew he was gonna save me.”
For the complete monologue, go to WeAreActors.
4. “ONE” by Terrence Mosley
Character: Mom
Abstract: A single mom tells her grownup son about his absent father and their heritage.
Monologue Snippet: “Your father was an advanced man, however he beloved you in his personal method. He left us, sure, however not as a result of he didn’t care. He was working from his personal demons, ones that had been too sturdy for him to combat. I see a lot of him in you. The great elements. The power, the fervour. However you might want to know the place you come from, our heritage, our struggles. It’s what makes us who we’re. It’s what makes you who you might be.”
For the complete monologue, you possibly can try Backstage.
5. “And Turning, Keep” by Kellie Powell
Character: Amy
Abstract: Amy, a excessive schooler, talks about being led on by boys and her damaged coronary heart.
Monologue Snippet: “I assumed he beloved me. I actually did. Nevertheless it was all a sport to him, a merciless joke. I let myself consider in his phrases, his guarantees. And now right here I’m, damaged, with nothing however reminiscences of his lies. It hurts a lot, greater than I assumed potential. How might somebody be so heartless? How might I be so naive? I don’t know if I’ll ever belief once more.”
For the complete monologue, check with dramatic literature anthologies or on-line script libraries.
6. “Bargaining” by Kellie Powell
Character: Hannah
Abstract: Hannah tells her boyfriend that she is immortal, revealing a deep private secret.
Monologue Snippet: “There’s one thing I must inform you. One thing I’ve by no means informed anybody. I’m immortal. I’ve lived for hundreds of years, seen the rise and fall of empires, watched family members come and go. It’s a lonely existence, one which’s onerous to elucidate. I assumed I might be regular with you, however I can’t disguise it anymore. You need to know the reality about who I’m, about what I’m. I like you, however that is my burden to bear, not yours.”
For the complete monologue, check with dramatic literature anthologies or on-line script libraries.
7. “The Promise of You” by Daniel Martine
Character: Carolyn
Abstract: Carolyn displays on her life when Bobby returns.
Monologue Snippet:
“Bobby, you recognize, once you left, I assumed it was the top for me. I couldn’t see past the heartbreak. However then I discovered power in locations I by no means knew existed. I constructed a life, a house, one thing steady. And now you’re again, stirring all these previous emotions, making me query all the pieces once more. However I’m not that very same lady you left behind. I’ve grown, I’ve modified. I promised myself I’d by no means return to that place of dependency and worry. It’s important to perceive that the girl standing earlier than you now just isn’t the identical one you walked away from.”
For the complete monologue, please check with on-line libraries
8. “Richard Fisher’s Funeral” by Kellie Powell
Character: Drew
Abstract: Drew explains why she received’t forgive her father at his funeral.
Monologue Snippet:
“Why ought to I forgive him? He was by no means there. Not once I wanted him. Not when Mother wanted him. His guarantees had been as empty as his seat at my commencement, as hole as his phrases when he mentioned he beloved us. And now, you need me to face right here and fake that he was some form of hero? No, I received’t do it. He doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness, and he doesn’t deserve my tears. He was nothing however a stranger to me, a ghost haunting the corners of my life.”
For the complete monologue, go to Not My Footwear and Stage Performs.
9. “Snow White Will get Her Say” by Chris Wind
Character: Catherine
Abstract: Catherine plots her revenge on all the lads who’ve wronged her.
Monologue Snippet:
“You assume you recognize my story, don’t you? The beautiful little princess ready to be saved. However let me inform you one thing, that story is a lie. They twisted my life into some form of fairy story, however there was nothing magical about it. I used to be used, betrayed, and left to fend for myself. However I’m not the naive lady they thought I used to be. I’ve realized, I’ve grown stronger. And now, it’s my flip to rewrite the story. To take management. To make them pay for each lie, each deceit. They received’t see me coming, however they’ll bear in mind my title. Catherine, the one who took her revenge.”
For the complete monologue, go to Stage Performs and Scribd.
10. “The Seagull” By Anton Chekov
Character: Nina
Abstract: Nina returns to Sorin’s property, having been deserted by Trigorin as soon as her attract and innocence light. Upon encountering her former lover, Treplev, she succumbs to emotional breakdown.
Monologue: Why do you say that you’ve kissed the bottom I walked on? It is best to kill me quite. I’m so drained. If I might solely relaxation—relaxation. I’m a sea-gull—no—no, I’m an actress. He’s there too. Ah, nicely—regardless of. He doesn’t consider within the theatre; he used to chortle at my goals, in order that little by little I grew to become down-hearted and ceased to consider in it too. Then got here all of the cares of affection, the continuous anxiousness about my toddler, in order that I quickly grew trivial and spiritless, and performed my elements with out which means. I by no means knew what to do with my palms, and I couldn’t stroll correctly or management my voice. You can not think about the frame of mind of 1 who is aware of as he goes by means of a play how terribly badly he’s performing. I’m a sea-gull—no—no, that isn’t what I meant to say. Do you bear in mind the way you shot a seagull as soon as? A person chanced to cross that method and destroyed it out of idleness. That’s an concept for a brief story, however it isn’t what I meant to say.
(She passes her hand throughout her brow)
What was I saying? Oh, sure, the stage. I’ve modified now. Now I’m an actual actress. I act with pleasure, with exaltation, I’m intoxicated by it, and really feel that I’m very good. I’ve been strolling and strolling, and considering and considering, ever since I’ve been right here, and I really feel the power of my spirit rising in me every single day. I do know now, I perceive ultimately, Constantine, that for us, whether or not we write or act, it isn’t the honour and glory of which I’ve dreamt that’s necessary, it’s the power to endure. One should know the way to bear one’s cross, and one will need to have religion. I consider, and so don’t undergo a lot, and once I consider my calling I don’t worry life.
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Monologues for males
11. Biff Monologue from “Dying of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller
Monologue: “Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you! … I’m not a pacesetter of males, Willy, and neither are you. You had been by no means something however a hard-working drummer who landed within the ash can like all the remainder of them! I’m one greenback an hour, Willy! I attempted seven states and couldn’t elevate it. A buck an hour! Do you collect my which means? I’m not bringing house any prizes anymore, and also you’re going to cease ready for me to convey them house! … I’m nothing! I’m nothing, Pop. Can’t you perceive that? There’s no spite in it anymore. I’m simply what I’m, that’s all.”
For the complete monologue, you possibly can check with the next web page:
12. “Ben Is Again” by Peter Hedges
Character: Ben
Abstract: Ben admits his function in a buddy’s demise as a consequence of an overdose, showcasing his guilt and the pressure in his relationship along with his mom.
Monologue Snippet: “Mother, I can’t dwell with this guilt anymore. Each time I shut my eyes, I see his face. I used to be the one who gave him the medicine. I assumed it was only for enjoyable, nevertheless it turned out to be deadly. I’m so sorry, Mother. I want you to know that I’m not the identical particular person anymore. I can’t maintain pretending that all the pieces is okay when it’s not. Please, forgive me.”
For the complete monologue, check with Peter Hedges Delivers Ben is Again .
13. “Foyer Hero” by Kenneth Lonergan
Character: William
Abstract: William’s monologue explores his ethical dilemma of defending his brother versus telling the reality to the police.
Monologue Snippet: “Jeff, you don’t perceive. If I inform the reality, my brother goes to jail. But when I lie, I turn out to be part of this corrupt system. How do I select between my household and my integrity? It’s tearing me aside inside. Each night time I lie awake, questioning if I’m doing the suitable factor. How are you going to shield somebody you’re keen on with out dropping your self within the course of?”
For the complete monologue, check with Foyer Hero by Kenneth Lonergan .
14. “Brooklyn Boy” by Donald Margulies
Character: Eric
Abstract: Eric displays on his father’s dedication to his work, which he by no means understood, revealing an advanced father-son relationship.
Monologue Snippet: “My father offered sneakers. In a Buster Brown retailer on Sheepshead Bay Highway. He wasn’t a associate, he was an worker. For thirty-nine years. He gave his life to that retailer. It wasn’t even his to revenue from, but he nonetheless gave all the pieces to that goddamn retailer. I might by no means perceive what was so engaging about that place, why he selected to spend a lot of his days there and never at house. I bear in mind watching him carefully within the morning, attempting to uncover the thriller of manhood, the rituals of labor.”
For the complete monologue, check with Brooklyn Boy by Donald Margulies .
15. “Of The Fields, Currently” by David French
Character: Ben
Abstract: Ben recollects the disgrace and embarrassment he felt in the direction of his father throughout a baseball sport in his youth.
Monologue Snippet: “He rushed out the door and right down to the school-yard, the primary sport he had ever come to, and my mom put his supper within the oven, for later … I hadn’t reminded my father of the sport. I used to be afraid he’d present up and embarrass me. Twelve years previous and ashamed of my previous man. Ashamed of his dialect, his soiled overalls, his bruised fingers with the fingernails lined with grime, his tooth yellow as previous ivory. Most of all, his lunch pail, that image of the working man.”
For the complete monologue, further context will be present in dramatic literature anthologies or libraries.
16. “Basilica” by Mando Alvarado
Character: Joe
Abstract: Joe expresses his deep sense of failure and seeks understanding from his beloved one.
Monologue Snippet: “Ah babe, I’m not doing so good. I simply really feel so … I want I might inform you that I acquired the power. However, you recognize I might be bullshitting. You at all times had a method of seeing by means of me. I do know. Like that point, I got here house. You place me on that silly Weight Watcher’s Eating regimen. Small parts, no quick meals. I used to be nonetheless the identical waist measurement since highschool. So I got here house. You knew I had a Whataburger. However I mentioned, ‘No babe, I had a salad and a type of meals.’”
For the complete monologue, check with dramatic literature anthologies or on-line script libraries.
17. “The Rookie Cop” by Adam J. Wahlberg
Character: Veteran Cop
Abstract: A seasoned cop educates his rookie associate, resulting in a major revelation.
Monologue Snippet: “I’m John. A veteran cop who doesn’t consider in being gentle on rookies. I’ve seen all of it. The crimes, the victims, the damaged system. You, child, you assume you recognize what you’re moving into, however you don’t. There’s a darkness on this job that you simply received’t discover within the academy textbooks. Each name we take, each arrest we make, it adjustments you. You begin questioning your morals, your sense of justice. However right here’s the factor, child, if you happen to can maintain onto that small a part of your self that believes in doing proper, you’ll survive. Barely, however you’ll survive.”
For the complete monologue, you possibly can check with Reddit.
18. “Spoon River Anthology” by Edgar Lee Masters
Character: Tom Merritt
Abstract: Tom recounts the occasions resulting in his homicide from past the grave.
Monologue Snippet: “I used to be the happiest soul that ever lived, till sooner or later, my spouse’s lover took my life. I stood there, unaware, after which I felt the chilly metal. It was fast, however in that second, I considered all the pieces I beloved and misplaced. From the grave, I now see how my demise was simply one other story within the lengthy line of tales that make up Spoon River. My finish, a tragic tune amidst the refrain of the city’s tales, ceaselessly echoing within the silence of the cemetery.”
For the complete monologue, check with Mission Gutenberg and Full Textual content Archive.
19. “Good Will Looking” by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Character: Sean
Monologue: “Considered what you mentioned to me the opposite day, about my portray. Stayed up half the night time excited about it. Then one thing occurred to me and I fell right into a deep, peaceable sleep and haven’t thought of you since. You recognize what occurred to me? You’re only a child. You don’t have the faintest concept what you’re speaking about. You’ve by no means been out of Boston.”
Sean :So if I requested you about artwork, you’d in all probability give me the thin on each artwork guide ever written. Michelangelo, you recognize quite a bit about him. Life’s work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the entire works, proper? However I’ll guess you possibly can’t inform me what it smells like within the Sistine Chapel. You’ve by no means really stood there and appeared up at that stunning ceiling; seen that. If I ask you about girls, you’d in all probability give me a syllabus about your private favorites. You might have even been laid just a few instances. However you possibly can’t inform me what it feels wish to get up subsequent to a lady and really feel really blissful. You’re a tricky child. And I’d ask you about conflict, you’d in all probability throw Shakespeare at me, proper, “as soon as extra unto the breach expensive associates.” However you’ve by no means been close to one. You’ve by no means held your finest buddy’s head in your lap, watch him gasp his final breath trying to you for assist. I’d ask you about love, you’d in all probability quote me a sonnet. However you’ve by no means checked out a lady and been completely weak. Recognized somebody that would stage you along with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth only for you. Who might rescue you from the depths of hell. And also you wouldn’t know what it’s wish to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there ceaselessly, by means of something, by means of most cancers. And also you wouldn’t find out about sleeping sitting up within the hospital room for 2 months, holding her hand, as a result of the docs might see in your eyes, that the phrases “visiting hours” don’t apply to you. You don’t find out about actual loss, ’trigger it solely happens once you’ve beloved one thing greater than you’re keen on your self. And I doubt you’ve ever dared to like anyone that a lot. And take a look at you… I don’t see an clever, assured man… I see a cocky, scared shitless child. However you’re a genius Will. Nobody denies that. Nobody might probably perceive the depths of you. However you presume to know all the pieces about me since you noticed a portray of mine, and also you ripped my fucking life aside. You’re an orphan proper?
[Will nods]
Sean : You assume I do know the very first thing about how onerous your life has been, how you’re feeling, who you might be, as a result of I learn Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally… I don’t give a shit about all that, as a result of you recognize what, I can’t be taught something from you, I can’t learn in some fuckin’ guide. Except you wish to speak about you, who you might be. Then I’m fascinated. I’m in. However you don’t wish to do this do you sport? You’re scared of what you would possibly say. Your transfer, chief.
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20. “Scent Of A Lady”
Character: Lt. Col. Frank Slade
Abstract: Slade has Charlie accompany him to New York Metropolis, aspiring to savor one final weekend earlier than ending his personal life. All through their time collectively, Charlie types a bond with Slade and in the end prevents him from committing suicide. Slade then decides to return to the prep faculty with Charlie to attend the disciplinary committee assembly. George has made a deal to call the three college students concerned within the prank however plans to say he didn’t see them clearly as a consequence of not carrying his contact lenses, implying solely Charlie really noticed the culprits. Charlie refuses to disclose their identities, prompting the headmaster to organize to suggest Charlie’s expulsion. At this second, an outraged Slade delivers the next speech:
Monologue Snippet:
“I’ve seen boys like these, youthful than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. However there may be nothing just like the sight of an amputated spirit. There isn’t a prosthetic for that. You assume you’re merely sending this splendid foot soldier again house to Oregon along with his tail between his legs, however I say you might be executing his soul! And why? As a result of he’s not a Baird man. Baird males. You damage this boy, you’re going to be Baird bums, the lot of you. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you might be on the market, FUCK YOU TOO!”
For the complete monologue, you possibly can check with the sources beneath:
21. “The Seagull” By Anton Chekov
Character: Treplev
Abstract: Treplev’s relationship along with his mom, a famend actress, is intricate; they meet sporadically every year since he reached maturity. Aspiring to be a playwright, Treplev strongly criticizes modern theatrical norms. The monologue in query is directed at his uncle, Sorin, starting with him methodically plucking petals off a flower.
Monologue: She loves me, she loves me not; she loves me, she loves me not; she loves me, she loves me not. You see? My mom doesn’t love me. In fact not! She needs to dwell, to like, to put on brilliant clothes, and right here I’m, twenty-five years previous, a relentless reminder that she is now not younger. Once I’m not there, she’s solely thirty-two, however when I’m, she’s forty-three – and for that, she hates me. Moreover, she is aware of I don’t settle for the theatre. She loves the theatre, she thinks she is serving humanity and the sacred explanation for artwork, whereas in my view, the theatre of at present is hidebound and traditional. When the curtain goes up, and, in a room with three partitions and synthetic mild, these nice geniuses, these monks of holy artwork, present me how individuals eat, drink, love, stroll about, and put on their jackets; when from these banal scenes and phrases they attempt to fish out an ethical – some little ethical that’s simply grasped and appropriate for home use; when, in a thousand variations, I’m served the identical factor over and time and again – then I flee, as Maupassant fled from the Eiffel Tower, which made his mind reel with vulgarity.
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22. “Jesus Hopped The A Practice” By Stephen Adly Guirgis
Character: Angel
Abstract: Angel, a younger Puerto Rican man, is incarcerated at Riker’s Island jail awaiting trial for the homicide of a cult spiritual chief. On this scene, he converses along with his court-appointed lawyer.
Monologue:
ANGEL: . . . We usta, me and Joey, we usta sneak out our home on Solar-
day nights, soar the turnstiles. And we’d hop down onto the
subway tracks, stroll by means of the tunnels, lookin’ for shit, makin’ ad-
ventures, playin’ like we was G.I. Joes . . . Choose up a empty can a
Hawaiian Punch or some ol’ beer bottle for faux walkie-talkies . . .
and we’d have our snow-boots on so we might be astronauts. And we
would fake we had been the final two survivors on earth and that we
got here from the longer term . . . silly . . . the longer term . . . like in that Planet
of the Apes film with the 2 guys? Solely we had no weapons, juss
chocolate milk . . . And we’d get so misplaced in our video games and our dis-
coveries and our made-up tales . . . so many tales: lookin’ for ghosts,
lookin’ for apes, lookin’ for fortunes, runnin’ from rats, talkin’ bout
ladies, talkin’ bout Thelma from “Good Instances,” talkin’ bout daydreams,
talkin’ ’bout Bruce Lee versus Evil Knievel, talkin’ in phrases that was-
n’t even phrases, . . . and . . . and it will at all times shock us once we
noticed the Lights . . . though we might really feel the practice coming, however
it was the Lights . . . The nearer these Lights got here, rumble of the tracks,
sound a the conductor’s horn blarin’ at us. We’d get so excited we’d
freeze — two seconds of freezin’ chilly . . . hypnotized . . . holdin’ palms,
waitin’, waitin’, then: Bang . . . We’d soar off the rails, hug the wall,
climb again up the platform, begin runnin’, runnin’, tearin’ ass clear
throughout city again to Riverside or Cherry Park . . . One time . . . one
explicit time, once we was holdin’ palms proper earlier than we jumped
off the rails, somethin’ occurred, and we couldn’t let go, couldn’t un-
tangle ourself from one another, and we had been inside that Gentle, and we
each noticed skeletons and radiation, and we was paralyzed in a method that
I juss can’t clarify, until somethin’ blew us aside, juss blew us, and we
landed protected . . . We didn’t transfer for a very long time . . . We was cryin’
and Joey ripped his brother’s coat . . . We wasn’t speakin’ until we acquired
to our block and Joey mentioned that it was The Gentle that ripped us aside
and saved our lives . . . Joey mentioned, “Jesus hopped the A practice to see us
protected to mattress” . . .
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Dive into these dramatic monologues for women and men and uncover the essence of storytelling that transcends the stage and display screen. Every bit not solely showcases the actor’s expertise but in addition brings to life the intricate layers of the characters they painting. Discover, apply, and excellent these monologues to reinforce your efficiency abilities and depart an enduring impression in your viewers.
