A monologue is a long speech given by one person, without interruption from others. When a character in a play delivers a monologue, they speak their thoughts aloud while other characters listen (or sometimes while alone on stage). In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the famous “To be or not to be” speech is a monologue where Hamlet wrestles with difficult questions about life and death.

Monologues appear in many contexts beyond theater. A stand-up comedian performs a monologue when delivering jokes to an audience. A student giving an oral report delivers a monologue to the class. Even in regular conversation, if someone talks for several minutes without letting others respond, you might joke that they're “delivering a monologue.”

A monologue contrasts with a dialogue, where two or more people exchange ideas back and forth. When your friend talks without pausing for ten minutes about their favorite video game while you wait for a chance to speak, that's definitely a monologue.