Dramatic monologue
A poetic form in which a speaker addresses a silent listener(s), revealing character through speech. Dramatic monologues often create psychological complexity and moral ambiguity.
Real World
In Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess', the Duke casually reveals he ordered his wife's murder while negotiating his next marriage — the silent envoy hears everything the reader does, and both gradually realise the speaker's monstrousness.
Exam Focus
Analyse the gap between what the speaker intends to reveal and what they inadvertently disclose; this dramatic irony is the form's central interpretive challenge.
How well did you know this?